Through His Eyes
by LitLover 101
Summary: Stefan's and Klaus' lives are about to change dramatically when they awake from the effects of a spell in each other's bodies. Now, they will have to learn to survive in their new worlds. Stefan/Freya Mikaelson & Klaroline & Klefan BrOTP Challenge story by Rune Saint.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries TV show. That honor goes to Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson.**

 **Hello, my lovely readers. This story was created based on a prompt created by Rune Saint. On with the show...**

Chapter 1: Swapped

The world was awash in color. Stefan was confused. One minute, he was returning to the Boarding House with Caroline, both slightly drunk, and giddy after a long night of patrolling the streets and fighting off one of his mother's Heretics, the next he was somewhere else. He remembered Caroline commenting on "How much had he had to drink?" as his body became slack as he was falling to the floor.

The next thing Stefan knew his head was throbbing like he had been fighting with Damon, drinking with Damon, or talking to Damon, or really anything related to Damon. Then he heard the sound. It was far away. So far away, he was almost sure it was part of the dream. This was a dream, Stefan was sure of that, because there was an angel hovering over him with a baby on her hip.

"Klaus, could you not hear your daughter?" the blond haired angel asked, her lips pursing into a scowl that somehow was very familiar, although he could not say who it was she reminded him of. "Klaus!" her voice demanded Klaus' attention.

Sitting up, Stefan rubbed the back of his head, wondering when he had gotten another haircut. The top felt short of at least two, maybe, three inches of hair. And why was this woman repeating Klaus' name and staring at Stefan. Was this some kind of a sick joke? Stefan was about to call for Damon when the angel set the baby down beside him. The child crawled across the bed to settle atop Stefan's chest and stare into his eyes, like she knew who he was.

Blinking back at the baby, Stefan gave her a light pat on the back. He did not have too much experience with children. As a ripper, he had always been afraid that if he allowed himself to come close to children that he would do something he could not come back from. "Hello?" he said tentatively as the child continued to stare.

After a long moment of watching the scene play out, the woman scooped the baby back up. The child began to cry and reached out for Stefan, who felt an unfamiliar tug at his heart. Moving to get off the bed, he looked at the blonde. "Maybe I should take her back," he said with a smile directed at the baby. Although there was a part of Stefan that was thinking that Klaus + baby = trouble, he could not help himself. There was a part of him that wanted to hold the child.

"No!" the woman said, slowly shaking her head. Her eyes were glowing with a kind of fervor and Stefan wondered if she was mad. Not that he could judge. When he was the Ripper, he had not exactly been mentally healthy. "Who are you?" the woman demanded, rocking the child and rubbing her back rhythmically.

"I'm… Klaus," Stefan tried, and failed, to sound like he believed the words coming out of his own mouth.

"No. No, you are not. Your aura. It's not like Klaus'. It's _purer_ ," she stated and then Stefan knew what he was feeling. She was a witch. He should have sensed it the moment he became aware of his surroundings. But all he had been aware of was her wide eyes, her long hair, her lips and her scent. Everything about this woman was intoxicating to Stefan. He hadn't felt this way since he met Elena. And that had been a _completely_ different story.

"Who. Are. You?" the woman demanded, again, and Stefan tried to figure out whether saying that Klaus had amnesia would be plausible. Prior to his brother being sent to a prison world in hell, Stefan would not believe that he could end up in Klaus' body. Unless, of course, Klaus had them switched for another sick and twisted plan that this young mother was not privy to.

"I'm Stefan Salvatore," Stefan confessed. He always believed that honesty was the best way to influence people. Then there were the times that being honest could get you killed. Stefan really hoped that this was not one those times.

" _Who_?" The witch looked confused.

"I'm _Stefan_. I was a good friend of Klaus' in the twenties. We traveled together, I was having a rough patch," Stefan trailed off. There was a possibility that this witch was an enemy of Klaus,' who was trying to kill him and had switched them in the hopes that Stefan would make an easier target.

"Ah, that was after the time that I returned. The last time, that is." The witch shifted the baby, who was becoming restless, on her hip. "But how are you here?" she asked, pinning Stefan with a wary look.

Running his hand over Klaus' short hair, Stefan shook the head that was not his own. "Ummm. I have no idea. But I would love to find out."

The woman shook her head. "Perhaps this is not a bad thing," she said thoughtfully. "My brother has done so many things that have harmed himself, this family and this city in the past months. Maybe someone is teaching him a lesson." Looking out the window, her mouth twisted upwards into an eerily familiar smirk. "Oh, could you take her for moment?"

The witch that claimed to be Klaus' sister held the baby out to Stefan who took her. He instantly relaxed as the child laid her head on his shoulder. "Klaus' _sister_? I thought he had _one_ of those," Stefan replied and the witch smiled at him.

"I'm _Freya_ Mikaelson. The eldest daughter of Esther and Mikael. My aunt, Dahlia, took me from my mother when I was a little girl, before Elijah was born. I have only been with my siblings a short time. And I have found my stay to be… challenging," she said with a laugh.

Stefan found himself smiling at this unfamiliar woman. She was disarming, sweet, and distrusting, but who wouldn't be if they were part of the Original family. "I'm sorry," Stefan said quietly.

"For _what_?" Freya asked, her eyes wide and innocent.

"For what happened to you. No one should be taken from one's family," Stefan told her.

Freya looked surprised. "You're being honest. Aren't you?" she asked as if that was shocking.

"Yes. At least I _try_ to be," Stefan retorted with a chuckle. "So, this is Klaus' daughter? How did that happen?" Stefan wanted to collect as much information as he could. It might be the difference between getting through the day in New Orleans, especially when Elijah and Rebekah learned of this little switch. It was not that Stefan believed that the Original siblings would want him dead. It was that he knew that they would do anything to get Klaus back and that might mean spells that could have any number of consequences.

Freya came over to stand beside Stefan and sat down on the bed. Hesitantly, Stefan sat beside her. "This is Hope," Freya explained, stroking Hope's hair. "She's Klaus' daughter with a werewolf named Hayley Marshall. We call her the werewolf princess. Her mother was recently turned into a hybrid, married and became the leader of a pack. She attempted to take Hope to save her from Dahlia, but Klaus caught up with her. And she is now under a curse in which she stays a wolf every night, until the full moon. Which is next week."

"That all?" Stefan blew out a breath. "That's a lot to take in. So, are there any _other_ new enemies that I need to be aware of?" Stefan quipped as Freya continued to stroke the baby's head. She looked at Stefan beneath her lashes with a hint of a smile and Stefan was almost sure she was flirting with him. He wondered if Klaus would kill him if he were to become involved with another of his sisters. Then he thought of Caroline and turned away.

"Is there something wrong, Stefan?" Freya asked, seemingly startled by his movements. She got to her feet and placed her arms over her chest. All the warmth had left the room. Or maybe that was just the witch.

"No, everything is fine," Stefan replied dully as the baby in his arms awoke and began to cry.

Freya took the child and Stefan felt alone. "It's just that I have this friend back home. And, well, Klaus was kind of obsessed with her for awhile. Then they were friends. Then they were… something _else_. I'm not sure what exactly though. So, I was just wondering how she was handling having him back in her life."

"You mean if she knows that it is Klaus, and not _you_ , you mean?" Freya responded coldly. "And you're afraid that she will be _happy_ that he is there, and _not_ you?"

"Wait? _What_?" Stefan tried to laugh her suggestion off, but it left a lump in his throat.

"I have the ability to sense how you're feeling. You're afraid, Stefan. And a little jealous. Am I right?" Freya asked.

Stefan felt uncomfortable. He did not like having someone else who was able to read him so well around. "Is that part of your witchy powers?" he asked and he heard an echo of Damon in the room, but he didn't care. This Freya person was trying to get into his head and he had had Klaus in there enough times to know when he was being manipulated.

"No, you just aren't very good at hiding what you feel," Freya retorted with another Klaus like smirk.

"And you are a Mikaelson. No need for a DNA test," Stefan snapped. "Well, now that we had this conversation. I'll be heading back home. You can have Klaus back whenever my friend, Bonnie, gets me back in the right body," Stefan assured Freya on his way out of the room. He was only two steps down the hall when he felt like someone had strapped electrodes to his temples as his brain blazed and his vision blurred.

"You're not going _anywhere_ ," Freya told Stefan as she came to stand over him. "You're going to stay _here_. You're _going_ to play the part of Klaus until he returns. If you do not, you will not have to worry about getting back to your body, because I will find it and you will _never_ get it back. Do you _understand_ me, Mr. Salvatore?"

Looking up at Freya, Stefan nodded while gritting Klaus' teeth. When she stopped and the pressure released, he got to Klaus' feet. " _Why_ are you doing this?" he gasped.

"Because if _anyone_ finds out that Klaus is gone, they will _attack_ this family. I cannot allow that to happen. I just got them back. I have made it my mission to reunite them, and no one, not even you, will stand in my way," Freya explained and Stefan could feel pain beneath the anger.

Relenting, he nodded. "Okay. I'll play along. But you're going to have to tell me as much as you know about this city as you can. Otherwise, I won't be much help."

"Fine. I will tell you over dinner, tonight. Elijah will be out, conducting some kind of deal with the new king of New Orleans, Marcellus Gerard and the reigning leader of the witch community, a teenager by the name of Davina Claire." Freya stated calmly as if she had not just fried his synapses seconds before.

"It's a date," Stefan muttered as the witch strode off with the baby. He could have sworn that he heard her chuckle, but he could have been hearing things.

One thing Stefan was certain of was that Mystic Falls was a piece of cake compared to the lion's den that he had just been trapped in. He wondered how Klaus was handling being "Stefan Salvatore," or whether he was handling it. Maybe he should call home just to make sure that everyone was okay. Then again, maybe not. Freya would probably find out, and try to kill him for trying to contact Klaus. Maybe he should just sit tight and wait for Klaus to contact him.

 **In the next chapter we will check up on how Klaus is taking the swap.**

 **Thanks for reading, faving, following for reviewing. :)**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my lovely readers. I am becoming really, really horrible at updating but I'm trying to get better. Enough of that. On with the show…**

Chapter 2: Home?

Klaus felt like his head was on fire. 'What in the bloody hell?' was his first thought as he attempted to adjust to his surroundings. Something was terribly wrong. But that thing was exactly what he had yet to figure out. Shifting his weight on the bed that did not feel like his own, he let out a moan. Where was he? Was this some trick of Elijah's? He knew his brother was angry with him. However, he believed his brother would find a better punishment then leaving him… who knew where with this infernal headache…

Moaning again. Klaus sat up and looked around him, blinking at his surroundings. Something about this place seemed so familiar and entirely at odds with any place he set foot inside. Opening his mouth, he was about to call for his brother when the door swung open and a jubilant Caroline Forbes entered with a tray. "Good morning, sleepyhead!" she called with a wide grin. "I know after last night you must be worn out, but we've still got more Heretics where those came from. Oh, and Damon says that if you don't come downstairs in the next five minutes for his little meeting, he's going to feed you to one."

Klaus could only stare at Caroline as she continued to prattle on about these so-called Heretics and Damon's plan to eradicate the town of them, even if they had to burn it to the ground. "You know, I think once Elena's back… Which would mean we loose Bonnie…" Caroline paused staring at the tray she had set beside Klaus. Glancing at a pancake, her eyes brimming with tears before she forced herself to go on, "Once Elena is back, I think that Damon will be okay. Again. Not that Damon is ever okay. I mean, Damon is Damon and he'll always be like that… But he'll be better. I mean happier. I think. I mean he'll not be like grrrrr all the time," she curled her hands into claws and showed Klaus her fangs before stopping in mid-sentence to stare at him. "Stefan, are you even listening to me?"

Staring at Caroline for a long time, Klaus let out a chuckle. "That is rich, Caroline," he said. Then he realized that his voice was not his own. "Wait… That can not be," he uttered. Before Caroline could ask him what the hell he was talking about, Klaus had leapt from the bed and was standing in front of the window, staring at the face of Stefan Salvatore. "Oh…" Klaus sighed warily.

"Stefan, are you okay?" Caroline asked, coming to stand by his side. She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked up at him with wide concerned eyes. Klaus could remember Caroline looking at him with many expressions: disgust, fury, lust but never tenderness. What exactly had happened between her and the Ripper since he had been gone? Klaus was about to find out when Damon, with his unfortunate aptitude to interrupt, entered the room with his eyebrows scrunched.

"What about our having a meeting in ten minutes says to you two that hanging out in your room takes priority over killing our mother and her merry band of psychos?" Damon inquired, his voice laced with sarcasm as he stood in the doorway, widening his eyes at them.

Klaus' first instinct was to break off a leg of Stefan's bed and to ram it into Damon's left lung till he shut his bloody mouth. Thinking better of it until he found how it was that he had landed inside Stefan's body, Klaus turned to Damon. "You're right, brother, we should get right on the killing," he remarked with a smile. Heading over to the bed, he picked up the tray of food. Placing a piece of bacon in his mouth, he smiled at Damon and Caroline, who were staring at him. They did not utter a word as he sauntered over to Caroline and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear before heading out the door past Damon.

"What's up with him?" Damon questioned Caroline on their way down the stairs. Klaus was not enjoying the fact his hearing was not as good as it used to be. Yes, he could hear every word they said but would he be able to hear them from three blocks away? He sincerely doubted it, unless they were shouting.

"He's been like that all morning," Caroline replied. "Maybe he's feeling better. He's been a wreck since your mom tried to stake him last weekend."

"Yeah. Leave it to Mom to find the best ways to say 'I love you,'" Damon retorted and Klaus wondered when the two had buried the hatchet. The last time he had been around the two they weren't particularly friendly. Perhaps this had something to do with whatever Caroline was trying to tell him about Elena Gilbert. And what did it have to do with the Bennett witch? He would have to find out later. And he would have to find a way to contact Freya to make sure that Hope was being taken care of. In his current state he would be more likely to cause his daughter harm than good.

"Hey!" Matt Donovan greeted him.

"Bus boy," Klaus muttered and Rebekah's former lover simply blinked at him before going to stand by Bonnie. The witch was sitting on a couch with her arms folded over her chest. Scanning the room, Klaus took in the sight of Alaric Saltzman, the not-so-recently resurrected history teacher who was sporting a beard and looked rather worse for wear. The last of their little company was a man that Klaus was unfamiliar with.

"Gorgeous," the man greeted Caroline with a smile and a wink. Caroline smiled back and Klaus felt his hands tighten into fists. How many suitors had she found herself with since his departure?' he wondered sourly, glaring at the man, correction, vampire, who seemed to feel his gaze on him. "Aw. Stefan, woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" the vampire quipped.

"Enzo, not now," Bonnie snapped. She jutted her chin out at the vampire who held up his hands with a smirk. "Last night Caroline and Stefan took out two of the six Heretics on the loose. But we still have the other four. They're older, stronger and from last reports from Damon," she nodded at the elder Salvatore, whose mouth lifted in a half-smile, half grimace. She continued, looking around the room. "We also have Lilly Salvatore to deal with."

"Yes, and killing Mommy Dearest is at the top our list of things to do. Call it an early Christmas present to ourselves," Damon said, nodding at Klaus who nodded back. He was used to trying to kill his mother so that would not trouble him in the slightest. The only thing that shocked him was that he had always been under the impression that Stefan's mother was dead. Oh, well, it looked like he and his old friend now had yet another thing in common, mothers that would not stay dead. Glancing at Caroline, Klaus felt a pang. And she seemed to be in another…

"Tonight, Enzo is going to lure Lilly to the Grill under the pretext that they're to slaughter half the town who will be gathered after The Miss Mystic Falls ceremony. Lots of teens, lots of parents and lots of people who have drunk vervain but since the Heretics performed a spell that rendered it useless we could be looking at a massacre," Bonnie announced soberly. "I've been working on a spell to counteract the spell's effects but so far I haven't found the right ingredients."

"Then work harder, Bonnie," Damon interrupted and Klaus entertained the thought of what his head would look like mounted in his dining room.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "I am, Damon," she snarled before shaking her head and moving on. Damon shook his head before going over to pour out a glass of bourbon. He handed one to Alaric who had been quiet thus far, choosing to stare at his hands instead of offering anything useful. Klaus wondered what his story was but there were more pressing issues to attend to. After all, he had to play the part of the hero, one he was unaccustomed to.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Bonnie began. Pausing, she glared at Damon who was rolling his eyes and mimicking her. "Damon, shut up," she chastened the vampire who rolled his eyes again. "All of you are going to be needed at the Grill. That means you, too, Ric," she said quietly.

Alaric looked up from his drink beneath bloodshot eyes. For a moment, Klaus felt an odd emotion that he couldn't quite put a name to, tug at him before he shoved it back down and sat the tray he had forgotten he was holding, down on a couch. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Bonnie," Alaric protested as he looked around at the others.

Bonnie leaned forward as the Enzo person replied for her. "At some point you're going to have to accept that she's dead, mate. You can't bury yourself with her. It's not what she would have wanted."

"What do you know about what she wanted? You didn't even know her," Alaric yelled and the room quieted. The former history teacher was on his feet and in front of the vampire when Damon stepped between them.

"Hey. Hey! There will be no former Original Vampire Hunter turned human again versus former science project, half-crazed vampire under my roof. If you have to kill each other, take it outside," Damon told the two.

When they started to leave the Boarding House, Caroline shoved her elbow, hard, into Klaus', no Stefan's, ribcage. Klaus peered at her with a look of amusement. Personally, he was looking forward to a bit of entertainment. So far this merry little gang was boring him to tears, but this fight might lighten things up a bit. Caroline huffed when he didn't move. "Stefan," she said under her breath, darting her eyes between Enzo and Alaric and Klaus who stifled a sigh.

'What a pity,' he was thinking when he came to block the doorway. He was trying to think of what Stefan would say to defuse the situation when Caroline came to stand beside him. "If you two don't stop, I will kick both your asses," she promised them with a frown. Glancing at Caroline, Klaus could not hide the smile that her comment elicited. She was growing up and he was loving her more than ever.

Enzo was the first to capitulate. "Caroline is right. We're fighting the wrong adversary. And we'll need all our strength for tonight. And, if it'll make you feel better, while you're getting the shit kicked out of you by one of the Heretics, you can pretend it's me when you get in a shot or two."

Alaric did not seemed as pleased with Enzo's remark as Enzo seemed with it. He strode back into the great room and took the second drink that Damon offered him. "Do you think that getting Ric drunk right now is a great idea?" Matt asked and Damon's eyebrows rose.

"Don't you have a job to do? Go out and drive around town in your little toy cop car and pretend that you're doing this town any good at all?" Damon snapped back before taking a gulp from his glass of bourbon.

Matt scoffed and walked past Klaus and Caroline. "I'll see you guys tonight. And I'll let you know if anything happens."

"Yeah, we're looking forward with eager hearts and minds to news from Mystic Falls' finest," Damon called after Matt. "Oh, wait. No, she's gone, too. To Liz. May you never have to know what it's like to have a Matt Donavon keeping your streets safe." Damon cried with a smile.

Damon was no longer smiling when he hit the opposite wall. Klaus watched as Caroline grabbed Damon by the shirt collar and punched him in the face again. "Don't you ever talk about my mom like that," she snarled as Damon looked up at her with a dazed expression.

"Caroline!" Bonnie called but Caroline was raising her fist again.

Feeling amused but worried about Caroline, Klaus waited to see if he needed to interfere when Damon caught the blonde vampire's hand in his fist. Closing his fingers around her closed fist, Damon pulled Caroline into a hug. "I miss her, too," he said, as Caroline sucked in a deep, shaky breath.

"We've all been through too much," Bonnie said, her shoulders dropping as she sat down on the edge of the couch. "Your mom. Jo and the twins," she said, looking at Ric whose face was flushed as he stared down into his empty glass which he crushed in his hand. "Even Damon and Stefan are losing their mom again."

"You died. And came back," Caroline added as she helped Damon to his feet.

"Yeah. I did," Bonnie let out a chuckle. "But we've survived all that. And we're going to survive this, too. We're going to stop this and anything else we have to because we survive."

While Bonnie had been speaking Enzo had disappeared and reappeared with a First Aid Kit. Klaus' nose was leading him toward Alaric's hand and before he could stop himself, he was knocking the younger vampire out of the way, trying to get at Alaric's blood. "Stefan?" Ric yelled as Klaus bit into him, not being able to control this sudden desire for blood. The human was screaming in pain when Klaus felt something slam into his chest cavity.

"Let go. Now, mate," Enzo growled and Klaus looked down to find that Enzo's hand was inside Stefan's chest, wrapped around his heart. One sudden jerk and it would be curtains for both Klaus and the younger Salvatore brother.

"Enzo!" Caroline shouted. "Stop it! Please!" she cried as she took ahold of Enzo's arm and Klaus could tell by the smirk on the vampire's lips that he would like nothing better than to go ahead and rip his heart out. There was some bad blood between these two. Klaus wondered what exactly he had wandered into.

"For you, Caroline," Enzo said, releasing Stefan's heart and then backing away.

Klaus heaved a sigh before he turned. He was about to attack the younger vampire. He may not be in his own body but he had all his old knowledge of how to kill, rather ruthlessly and this child had made a mistake. Before he could move an inch, Caroline was standing before him checking him over. "Okay. You're okay," she breathed with a relieved sigh and then she turned on Enzo. "What the hell was that? We're all supposed to be on the same team here and now you pick not one, but two fights? Seriously? Whose side are you on?"

"I'm sorry. But was it not Stefan who was taking a bite out of the group pet here?" Enzo asked, pointing at Alaric who was drinking Damon's blood with a confused expression. "And I'm not going to suddenly don a white hat and pretend that I'm a hero here. That's not who I am and you know it."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," Caroline fired back.

Coughing, Klaus gained their attention. "I guess maybe I should stay behind and help Bonnie with this spell of hers since I seem to be having a problem with blood today." He gave a shrug and hoped it seemed Stefan like enough for this lot.

"That might be for the best," Bonnie added with a frown directed at Klaus who smiled back at her.

Now Damon was frowning. "No, Stef, we need all hands on board on this one. Bonnie can handle herself."

"Sure," Bonnie replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Right," Klaus muttered. He had been hoping that he could avoided playing at being a hero. Besides he needed an opportunity to be able to compel the Bennett witch into figuring out what in the hell had happened to him. This could not be an ordinary spell. And whoever had done it to him would pay most severely for it. He just hoped that Stefan was doing his part to not expose himself as an imposter; otherwise the whole family and countless others would be in danger.

"Is there anything else?" Bonnie asked and everyone looked at each other. "Fine. I'll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me." She got up and left the room. Moments later Damon headed out of the room grumbling about the company that he kept. Alaric mumbled something and left. This left Klaus, Caroline and Enzo to sit around the room and stare at each other.

When Klaus became wary of the staring contest that he had gotten himself into with the younger vampire, he got to his feet. "I fancy a walk in a woods. Caroline, would you like to join me since we have nothing else to do until our appointed time."

Looking from Stefan to Enzo, Caroline got to her feet. "Try to not kill anyone while we're gone," she ordered Enzo with a long look.

"Can't make any promises I don't intend on keeping," Enzo shot back as he got to his feet and emptied Damon's bourbon supply.

Klaus could not get out of the Boarding House fast enough. It brought back too many memories of less than pleasant circumstances for him. But moving closer to the wooded area near the house brought back memories that he never intended on forgetting. When he was close to a tree he was particularly fond of, he came to a stop and turned to Caroline.

To Klaus' surprise, Caroline shoved up against the tree and kissed him passionately. As much as he wanted to enjoy this embrace, she had just confirmed all of his worst fears and he gently pushed her away. "Caroline, I…" he tried and failed to find the right words as his heart broke.

When he finally looked her in the eye, all he saw was rage and irritation when her hand flew and his cheek smarted from her palm smacking Stefan's cheek. "I knew it. How? Why? Oh, my God. Seriously?!" she shouted, beginning to walk in small circles.

"Caroline, you're not making sense," Klaus began when she turned on him, holding up a shaking finger.

"Do not even start with me, Klaus. How in the hell? Why in the hell would you jump into Stefan's body? Of all times…" Caroline trailed off and let out an angry growl.

"I don't know," Klaus told her sincerely. "I was in New Orleans. I went to bed and I woke here. This was not my doing."

Caroline's jaw worked up and down before her shoulders sagged. "Really?"

"Truly, love. I don't know who did this. But we have to keep it a secret," Klaus told Caroline whose eyebrow furrowed.

"And why would we do that?" Caroline demanded. "Because this is, in fact, part of one of your twisted plots?"

"No, because I have a child that needs to be protected," Klaus said soberly.

Caroline's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "What?"

 **Okay, so I'm thinking that this story will going in a fairly AU way from the end of S6 of TVD and S2 of TO not to mention who wants to read a series of reruns? Seriously! I hope you enjoy the story and let me know in that little box below if you have time.**

 **Thank for reading, faving, following and reviewing (they make my day)!**

 **Answers:**

 **AnnaTom23: I hope you enjoyed the Klaroline part. I think they would, too, and so another crack ship sails.**

 **Marion: Thank you.**

 **Hellzz-on-Earth: Freya is pretty cool; she's like a female Klaus. They are and they will continue to be. You're welcome.**

 **Bjames238: Yes, I liked the idea, too. I was considering them the end game for Stef in "Summer of '15" because I really like the idea of Freya and Stefan.**

 **arbo: Thank you. I hope you enjoyed Klaus' side of the equation.**

 **hela7smite: I will. More and more and more.**

 **meruhime: I'm following from S6 of TVD and, yes, this means that Stefan and Caroline were working through some feelings that had developed but now things are slowly returning to how they used to be. Stefan and Freya will be a slow burn especially because Freya is like Klaus and tends to hide her emotions or to bury them.**

 **atsalvatore: I can't quite say when the updates will be due to having quite a few stories that I'm working on and one that has to be published so that I can eat, pay rent, etc. We will definitely see more of Stefan and Freya next time.**

 **skratin: Merci.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my lovely readers. I'm sorry about how long it's been since there was a new chapter. Writer's block has been plaguing me for a long time now. On with the show…**

Chapter 3: The Stranger in My House

Freya Mikaelson was still adjusting to life with her siblings. Now everything felt wrong for her with the arrival of this stranger in her brother's body. Although she knew she should feel some amount of relief due to Klaus' surprising absence, she was worried about what this meant and who had cast this spell. Or was it a spell?

Stepping gingerly down the stairs and into the living quarters where Elijah sat, with a large book splayed across his lap, Freya thought of what to say. "Freya," Elijah addressed her without looking up, flicking a page with his index finger.

"Elijah," Freya greeted her younger brother warmly. Sitting across from him, she pondered how he would take the news of Klaus' disappearance. However, Elijah seemed more preoccupied with other matters at the moment.

"I've been reading up on the curse that mother used on Niklaus and I think I might have found a way to release Hayley. It's a loophole…" Elijah trailed off when he looked up and Freya realized that he had stopped talking. "Is everything alright, sister?" he asked, his expression contorting in concern.

Choosing her words carefully, Freya parted her lips to speak when someone else appeared in the room, well, two people. "I think she's hungry," Stefan Salvatore uttered from the doorway, bouncing Hope on his hip who let out a cry of frustration.

Elijah's eyes moved toward his brother with a look of sheer contempt. "Brother, you might note that Hope is your responsibility given her mother's current predicament."

Stefan did something that made Freya groan inwardly. "I'm sorry, Elijah. I'll take of it," he said sincerely before leaving the room.

For a moment there was dead silence before Elijah looked to Freya and then back to where "Niklaus" had been standing. Opening her mouth to say something, Freya found she would be talking to empty air. "Elijah," she groaned, getting to her feet and hurrying toward the kitchen.

"Who are you?" Elijah was growling while Hope wailed in the background.

"I'm Klaus, your brother. Get the bloody hell off of me," Stefan tried, shoving Elijah away, sending Elijah crashing into the opposite wall.

"What is going on in here?" Freya demanded when Elijah got to his feet, his fangs showing while Hope whimpered in her highchair. "Stop this this instant."

"Not until he tells us who he is and where Klaus is," Elijah snarled, diving toward Stefan when Freya held up a hand and dropped the vampire to the floor, holding him there.

"Nice," Stefan said, smirking down at Elijah and looking a little too much like Klaus for comfort.

Elijah's eyes flicked to Freya. "Did you have something to do with this treachery, Freya," he demanded, pushing himself to his feet but not trying to attack Stefan.

"No. I did not do this," Freya related.

Elijah straightened his tie before pointing an accusatory finger at Stefan once again. "I will give you one more chance to answer my question. Who are you?"

Stefan looked to Freya who nodded. "I'm Stefan Salvatore," he told Elijah. These few words seemed to be a burden lifted as his posture relaxed and he even smiled. "I'm as much in the dark as you about how I got here or what the hell is going on."

Brows furrowing, Elijah stood silently for several moments before he replied. "We must be under attack again. But by who?"

"We've got some new enemies in Mystic Falls who are powerful enough to do this. But it doesn't make sense that they would choose to put me into Klaus' body. As far as I know Klaus has nothing to do with our new problems." Stefan told them.

Elijah let out a mirthless chuckle. "Our enemies are many. And Niklaus', over the years, are countless. There is no way to tell if the new threat to your town could not be seeking vengeance for some long forgotten wrong on my brother's part."

"Elijah, aren't you jumping to conclusions?" Freya asked gently. She knew how difficult it was for Elijah when Hayley was trapped in wolf form. He felt helpless. If there were anything she could do to change the situation, she would do it in a heartbeat, but to continually attack their brother was not the answer.

Scoffing, Elijah placed a hand in his pocket, shifting his weight. "You really choose to side with Klaus at a time like this?"

"I am not choosing a side," Freya snapped, her eyes narrowing at her brother.

"Like Switzerland," Stefan commented, finding a jar of baby food and opening it. Sniffing it, his nose wrinkled. "What is that stuff?" he asked with a look of disgust.

"Stewed carrots," Elijah retorted. "Freya, perhaps we should take advantage of Klaus' absence to correct some of his wrongs." he suggested to which Freya nodded assent while Stefan found a jar of peaches.

"Look what I found," Stefan cooed to Hope who clapped when he brought her the jar with a spoon. "Smells a lot better than that other stuff, doesn't it?" he asked, sitting down in front of the baby and making helicopter noises as he fed her.

"Dear God, he'll lessen her intelligence at this rate," Elijah muttered.

Freya couldn't help but smile at how naturally Stefan acted with Hope. It was a shame he was a vampire condemned to a fate in which he would never have a child of his own. "We should hope that he has other talents that might rub off on her during his stay. Maybe a little compassion. Something that can be sorely lacking in this family," Freya uttered. When she did not hear Elijah reply she noted his absence.

"Guess he doesn't find my feeding a baby as entertaining as you do," Stefan joked. "Got any more of this stuff. I think she wants more," he peered inside the empty jar as Hope hummed to herself.

"Yes, we have plenty where that came from," Freya replied, opening a cabinet door and pulling out another jar.

"What do you think Elijah has in mind?" Stefan questioned Freya when she took a seat across from him, taking Hope's empty hand in her own.

"I don't know what you mean," Freya told him. She was still not sure how much she could trust him. All that she did know was that the secret of who he really was must not get out otherwise she and her entire family would be in danger.

Stefan glanced in Freya's direction and she had the impression that he understood more than he was letting on. Feeling her lips twist into a frown, she looked him in the eye, tilting her head to the side and watching him intently.

"I don't know Elijah nearly as well as I know Klaus, but I do know that using me to 'right Klaus' wrongs' is not a position I want to be in. Don't get me wrong. I would love to help. But I'm not sure that Klaus won't kill me once he gets his body back. And I have family and friends who need me right now," Stefan said quietly as he fed the baby.

Sitting back in her seat, Freya folded her arms over her chest. "I would love to be able to help you return to your own body, Stefan. The problem is that we are in danger in this town. Niklaus has made many new enemies and right now we are all vulnerable."

Brows furrowing, Stefan turned his whole body to face Freya. "So you're telling me that I have to just play along for as long as it's convenient for you and your family?"

"Yes, Stefan. That is exactly what we are asking you to do. Look at this child, our family's hope' as Elijah so fondly calls her, if our enemies were to know of our vulnerability, of your vulnerability, they would come for us all." Freya stopped speaking and looked away from Stefan. She knew she sounded far too much like Klaus but if being kind would not do the trick, then instilling fear would have to.

"You're using a baby against me?" Stefan did not sound shocked but he did sound disappointed. "No need for a DNA test; you're definitely a Mikaelson."

Freya watched Stefan get to her brother's feet and head out of the room. "Where are you going, Stefan?" she called, not bothering to get up and follow him.

"Outside. I need some fresh air. This house is stifling," Stefan snapped back.

Shaking her head, Freya let him go without a word. Mr. Salvatore would not be going very far if she had anything to say about it. Her head dipped forward as she started to chant, closing the gates of the compound while she saw Stefan approach them in her mind's eye. Lips tilting upward with a satisfied smirk, Freya sat back, waiting for the frustrated vampire to return.

"Now I can't even go for a walk?" Stefan demanded, mere seconds later. His footsteps rang throughout the kitchen as he entered causing Freya to look up at him, the picture of tranquility.

"Yes. It's necessary that you do not leave unless Elijah or I are with you, in case you run into someone else who might figure out you're not who you're supposed to be." Freya waited for an outburst of rage that would overtake their brother if he were in this situation. However, Stefan shocked her by sitting back down with a heavy sigh.

"Fine. What can I do until you deem it safe for me to leave the house on my own?" Stefan asked, his brows furrowing.

"You can babysit while I continue to try to lift the curse that Klaus has placed on that child's mother. I'll be upstairs if you need me for anything," Freya intoned. She glanced at Stefan who nodded without a word. She had a feeling that he was up to something. "Before I leave I want you to give me Niklaus' phone."

"Why? Can't you just hex it so I can't call anyone? I might call and have a pizza delivered," Stefan muttered under his breath.

Chuckling, Freya held out her hand. "In case he calls. He might have information that allows me to switch you back before anyone else finds out who you are," she told the vampire who looked up at her.

"What if he doesn't know anything more than I do? Or what if someone else has killed him? Then you'll never get your brother back," Stefan suggested, retrieving Klaus' phone and holding it out to Freya. "I think it might be better if you went ahead and called him, just to see how things are going."

"Nice try, Stefan," Freya retorted, taking the phone and pocketing it. "But I think that if Klaus were dead I would know because you would be as well."

"Good point." Stefan relented grudgingly. "Have fun with your anti-werewolf hexing."

"I will," Freya called over her shoulder on her way out of the room. In fact she did want to call Niklaus to make sure that he had not gotten himself into any trouble but she knew he was intelligent enough to free himself. Or so she hoped. Sighing, Freya walked up the stairs and into her room, closing the door with a flick of her wrist.

Taking a seat on her bed, Freya thought about Elijah's words. Using Stefan's presence in New Orleans could allow them to right many wrongs that Klaus had committed lately in their family's name. As long as no one knew what would be the harm in allowing this spell to stay intact. All Freya would have to do was make it look as if she were working on a way to fix it. A Niklaus free New Orleans, Freya mused. Interesting. But could they really rely on Stefan to keep their secrets? Why would he? He had no vested interest in their welfare. Unless she made one.

But who or what would it take for Stefan to begin to care about keeping this charade going? Thinking about it for a sometime, Freya's thoughts were interrupted when Klaus' phone began to ring. "I hadn't thought of that one," Freya said aloud, smiling. Cami O'Connell's name lit up on the screen. A little human might make all the difference. Or not. Who's to say what Stefan Salvatore's taste in women was.

Ignoring the ring phone, Freya got to her feet and began to pace. This would not be easy. Cami had been Niklaus' therapist for a while now and she knew things that Freya had yet to know about her brother. How could he fool her? Would he fool her? Should Freya use someone else? Would Cami interfere with their plans and try to return Klaus to his rightful body? There were far too many unknown elements but it would give them some idea of how well Stefan could play at being Klaus. And they would run into each other eventually…

Making a decision, Freya got to her feet and waved her door open. Stefan had left the kitchen and was now in the living quarters, watching Hope playing with her wooden ornaments that she cherished. "Hey," he greeted Freya. "Come up with anything?"

"No. But a friend of Klaus' called. I think you should invite her to lunch. Don't worry. You won't be alone. I'll come with you. But we need to see if she'll detect the difference between you and Niklaus. If she does, you'll have to compel her to forget before she tells someone else." Freya knew from the look on Stefan's face that he was hoping for different news.

"Great. Anything else you'd like me to do? Host the annual Christmas party? Take some family portraits? Go kill someone? That last part, that would be very Klaus like and we wouldn't want him to not be himself." Stefan's tone was bitter as he righted a toy that Hope had knocked over, a knight on a horse.

"You don't have to kill anyone. If anyone needs to be killed Elijah can do it. And if he can't, I can, and that includes anyone from your little town that might cause a problem," Freya stated, her eyes narrowing at the vampire who looked up at her.

"Is that a threat?" Stefan demanded, getting to his feet.

Hope let out a whine and knocked the knight over again. "Hope, what is the matter?" Freya cried, looking at the child who was on the edge of tears.

"Maybe she doesn't like people threatening each other. I'd be surprised considering who her father is but you never know, maybe the sadism skips a generation in your family. Then again, I did meet your dad and I would say that's not very likely—" Stefan's borrowed mouth stopped making insults and the body occupied went flying across the room to crash into a wall.

Freya could feel her entire body shaking;her lips were twisted and her hands were balled at her sides. Tears of rage coursed down her cheeks. No, Stefan Salvatore was not Klaus Mikaelson but they seemed to share a cruel streak. Wiping away the tears, Freya glared as Stefan got to Klaus' feet. "Are you quite done?" she demanded coolly.

"You didn't have to throw me across the room," Stefan grunted, running a hand through Klaus' curls.

"No, I didn't. Nor did I," Freya retorted, glaring back.

"Then who did that?" Stefan waved an arm around the room. "I don't see any other witches here…" he trailed off when he spotted Hope, staring up at him, her eyes red rimmed and wet.

Freya's eyes landed on the child who was the only other being who could have stopped this argument with magic. "I see that she's coming into her powers nicely."

"Great. Now I have to worry about being flung around by a two year old. What next?" Stefan shook his head when Klaus' phone began to ring again. "Oh, yeah, that," he rolled his eyes while Freya checked to see who was calling this time. "Is that the friend you mentioned before calling?"

"Yes. She's usually not this persistent unless there's trouble," Freya answered, frowning.

Stefan sighed and then gestured for Freya to hand him the phone. "Let's get this over with." He took the phone and placed it to his ear. "Hello, love, what seems to be the problem?"

Watching Stefan's expressions on Klaus' face might have been comical during another occasion but not when Freya was left out of the conversation. "I have no idea. Perhaps we could meet for lunch and you could tell me all about it then? Right. I will see you then." Hanging up, Stefan turned to Freya. "She said that there were some dead bodies showing up around the quarter. Men whose throats had been slashed. She thought it was Klaus and I can say that unless I'm killing people in my sleep, he's not the culprit."

"Wonderful. What New Orleans needs now is another homicidal maniac on the loose. Just when we got rid of one," Freya said absently. "I will call Elijah and try to get him back to care for Hope before we meet with Cami."

"Yeah. That should be fun. Anything that I should know about this Cami person before we meet her?" Stefan asked.

Thinking about what to tell Stefan, Freya decided to go with the obvious. "She's been Klaus' therapist for close to two years now. Klaus thinks of her as a close friend, perhaps something more than that but who really knows what he feels about anything. Klaus keeps his feelings so deeply buried it's hard to tell."

"And how does she feel about him?" Stefan asked.

"You can figure it out when you meet her," Freya said, losing patience with this conversation. "I need to get dressed." Leaving the room, Freya told herself repeatedly that this was a good idea and failed miserably at convincing herself.

 **Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Answers to guest reviews:**

 **Zera; Thank you!**

 **Guest: Thank you!**

 **Guest: I enjoy exploring different pairings and when I saw a challenge about Freya and Stefan, somehow it made sense to me.**

 **Guest: Finally I did.**

 **Guest: Freya and Stef did have an interesting scene in the crossover event and I can say I wouldn't have minded seeing more of them on screen.**

 **Guest: Sorry about the wait. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Peace,**

 **J**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, my lovely readers. Sorry about the wait. This story is becoming more and more AU. On with the show…**

Chapter 4: Not Again

Rubbing her temples, Caroline stood in the woods near the Salvatore Boarding house. She needed to concentrate but Klaus freakin' Mikaelson stood just two feet from her. Klaus. Why? Why did it have to be Klaus? Just when she thought her life was coming together again and she could start over, fresh slate, do over, happy times. No. He had to butt his head into her life. Again. When would she ever be rid of him?

Whirling on a heel, slowly, to face the man, no vampire, no hybrid, no The Hybrid, Original vampire thingy. Oh, God. Caroline gulped. And he had to be wearing her friend's face. She stared at Stefan's features. It was like looking at someone in a Halloween costume. But that might be funny, you know, if Klaus dressed up as Stefan, but, no, this, this was not funny. Nothing about this entire freakin' situation was funny. Maybe Damon would find it funny. But Damon was Damon and Caroline was Caroline and she was, officially, freaking the hell out.

"Caroline, calm down, love. This is only a small crisis compared to our previous crises." Klaus gave her one of those smirks that just looked so wrong on Stefan's face. Stefan did not smirk. Stefan brooded. Stefan frowned. Stefan occasionally smiled like a happy, well-adjusted person. But, Stefan freakin' Salvatore did not smirk. Nope. Not like that. And certainly not at her with that whole I've-seen-you-naked look. Oh, my God! Caroline felt her face flushing before she turned away.

"Just. Just don't do that thing with his face anymore," Caroline snapped, running her hands through her hair and scrunching her face in irritation. Her eyes moved over the trees, the leaves on the ground, the sky, anything but Klaus in his Stefan suit. No. No. No. It was Tyler, all over again. And she kissed him. She kissed Stefan's lips and felt Klaus' kiss. "Wrong body," his words echoed through the years. "What?' Caroline snapped, turning to Klaus who raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm sorry, Caroline, you must be hearing things. I did not breathe a word, lest I upset you," Klaus teased her, that smirk reappearing before he attempted to stifle it.

Breathing in deeply, Caroline tried to control her panic. She wanted to scream and to kick Klaus' ass. There was just no way that this happened on accident. And, no matter what he said, she just knew it was his fault it had happened at all. Klaus Mikaelson had a bijillion enemies and counting. Sighing, she replayed their earlier words and then she remembered there being something about a child. "What child?" she demanded.

"My child, Caroline. I have a daughter to think of now," Klaus told her evenly.

Caroline's mouth opened, closed, opened again. "What? How? When? With whom? What?" She felt her body shaking, just the tiniest bit. Vampires couldn't have babies. According to like everyone she ever met. But…

"I will explain everything to you later but someone is coming," Klaus pointed out.

Enzo came walking toward them with a smile. "Good chat?" he inquired with sarcasm dripping off his tongue. Enzo had never been a fan of Caroline's crush on Stefan, probably because of this one-sided crush on Caroline. "You are needed inside," he told Caroline who glanced back at Klaus who had managed to arrange his features into an approximation of a Stefan Salvatore look.

Shaking her head, Caroline trudged back to the house. Soon Damon would figure out who Klaus was and then all hell would break loose unless she could help Klaus fake being Stefan long enough for them to get the real Stefan back and to get Klaus back where he damned well belonged, which was far from her.

Damon stood in the middle of the Great Room with a dark look on his face. "It looks as though we have an eensy problem on our hands."

"Such as?" Caroline snapped, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Damon. She did not have time for his problems with Klaus and Heretics on the loose.

Damon's head tilted to the side. Lily Salvatore came into the room with Bonnie, holding a glass of wine. "Damon, I really do want to thank you for allowing me into your home," Lily was saying when she turned and spotted Klaus. "Stefan," she said quietly. Her eyes widened and she moved forward.

Caroline's eyes widened as Klaus stood at the entrance to the room. She saw the briefest flicker of uncertainty on his, no Stefan's face, before it disappeared. Instead a blank expression could be seen as Lily came to stand in front of who she thought was her youngest child. "My baby," Lily said quietly, reaching up to touch his face.

Klaus moved backwards, nearly running into Enzo. Enzo let out a grunt of disgust, side-stepped and came to stand beside Caroline. "Not a happy family reunion, I take it. Should have let her wait outside, but she's Lily," Enzo muttered to Caroline. Caroline looked at Enzo seeing something she could not place in his eyes. If she weren't certain she was mistaken she would think that he had feelings for the older vampire.

"Mother," Stefan's voice said curtly. Klaus started to lace his fingers behind his back but when his eyes flickered to Caroline she shook her head in as discreet a manner as she could muster. Klaus settled on folding his arms across his chest, squaring his borrowed shoulders and frowning at Lily in a very Stefan-like manner.

Stopping herself from cheering, Caroline bit back a wide smile. Maybe Klaus could pretend to be Stefan and make it work after all. "Stefan, I know you have every right to be cross with me," Lily began when Klaus held up a hand to stop her. Her mouth closed, her eyes showing hurt. Even Caroline could see that and she stood ten feet away.

"Save it. I've heard everything you have to say," Klaus walked over to make himself a drink. Pouring out a glass of bourbon, he glanced at Caroline who looked back at Lily.

Lily's lips moved to speak and then she seemed to think better of it. Her eyes titled toward the floor. Some part of Caroline felt sorry for the woman. Yes, she left her children but she had been turned into a vampire, worse yet, a ripper vampire and Caroline could not imagine what that must have been like. She thought of her words to Klaus so long ago. "Did you ever try to talk to your father?" she had asked him during Esther's ball. Now they were dealing with another mother who had made so many mistakes with her children.

"Stefan, maybe you should hear her out," Caroline suggested, looking at Klaus, pleading with him to listen to her this time. It might help them be able to defeat the Heretics and it might give Lily an opportunity to be heard.

Of course Damon jumped in first. "Yeah, sure, go ahead, Stef. Let mommy tell you all about how it's all good. I'm just so sorry for choosing a group of monsters over my own blood. To hell with that. Whatever you're selling, we're not buying." Damon walked over and placed a hand on Klaus's shoulder, watching Lily through narrowed eyes.

Klaus looked back at Caroline. "Damon's was usually never right about anything. But this thing with the Heretics; that's something that has to stop before I can sit down and have a conversation with you…mother." Seeming satisfied with his words, Klaus took a long sip from his glass.

Damon smirked at Lily whose eyes filled with ice. Caroline could tell they were losing whatever opportunity they could have had to use her. Gritting her teeth, she watched Lily turn away and walk out of the room. "Great job, guys," she hissed at Klaus and Damon. Klaus shrugged and Damon smirked at her. Stomping out of the room, Caroline followed Lily out the door. "Mrs. Salvatore?" she called in her best Miss Mystic voice, all cheer and sunshine.

"Caroline?" Lily stopped, folding her arms and looking back at Caroline, her walls were up, big time. "How can I help you? Are you intent on reminding me of my flaws as a mother as well, or were the performances of my children not enough?"

"Look, Mrs. Salvatore –" Caroline began when Lily interrupted.

"When I died I let go of that mockery of a marriage. You may call me Lily," Lily said, her arms slipping down so that her hands met, clasping in front of her waist. The 19th century demeanor had begun to show.

"Okay. Lily," Caroline forced another sunshine on a day in early summer smile. "Here's the thing. Stefan is my friend. My really, really, really good friend. And the thing about Stefan is that he's not good with showing his emotions. He's really good at being there for other people when they're in pain, but when he's in pain, he just kind of shuts it out. And he shuts other people, people he cares about, out, too. You hurt him and he doesn't want you to see that. But if you could show that you did not intend on hurting him anymore, then maybe the two of you could, I don't know, begin to repair the damage. Baby steps." Caroline finished her speech with another smile, hoping it worked.

Lily's eyes glazed for a moment. Caroline could see that the other vampire was processing her words, debating over them and then smiled. "Thank you, Caroline, I always hoped that my son might one day find a friend who he could truly trust. It seems as if he chose well. Perhaps I shall take your advice." Lily started to turn to leave when Caroline called after her.

"Wait. Please!" Caroline moved forward so that she and Lily stood only a foot from each other. "There is this Miss Mystic Falls competition that will be hosted today. I was crowned years ago and always go. Afterward there will be party and you should come. Bring your other family members, too."

Lily's smile widened. "Yes, the girls need to get out more. They're devastated after the loss of two of our own were taken from us. I'm sure that whoever committed the heinous act might be there so that we might revenge ourselves upon them." Her smile took on an edge and Caroline had to stop herself from running or reacting at all.

"That's certainly a possibility." Caroline forced a laugh. "We will see you then."

Lily walked away and Caroline turned around. She nearly let out a scream when her body slammed into Stefan's. Klaus' smirk had made another appearance. "Klaus!" Caroline growled under her breath, punching him on the shoulder. "Do not sneak up on me. Stefan wouldn't do that and neither should you. Unless you want to expose yourself."

"For you, love, I would expose myself every day of the week," Klaus replied with a chuckle.

"Seriously!" Caroline hissed, smacking him again before moving to go inside.

Klaus moved to block her. "You know, Caroline, I understand that I do have the wrong equipment, seeing as I believe we both prefer my own body, but perhaps you might like to indulge me with another kiss." Klaus' new eyebrows rose and for a moment she saw him, not Stefan. Her body heat rose while her cheeks flushed. She felt her lips parting, her head tilting to the side as he leaned toward her and then Bonnie came out of the house.

"I cannot take one more second of Enzo. I'm going to set him on fire," Bonnie snapped, walking toward them with a dark look on her face.

"What did he do this time?" Caroline demanded, stepping away from Klaus, feeling relieved that nothing had happened. That would be totally weird and she knew that it would not be fair to Stefan for her and Klaus to use his body to…kiss with. Yes, kissing. Kiss is all that would have happened. Right. Right? She felt the heat still under her skin.

"Enzo is just. Ugh!" Bonnie's face scrunched up as she placed her hands on her hips. "What's up with you two? And I heard Lily came by. That must have been hard for you," Bonnie said, placing a hand on Klaus' arm and then her eyes narrowed. She took a visible step away from Klaus whose expression darkened.

Caroline felt herself beginning to panic, her entire boy tensing when Klaus grabbed Bonnie by the arms forcing them down by her sides. "Klaus," Caroline whispered, her tone a warning. She might not be able to kick his ass when he was his bad ass, Original self but she could kick her bunny blood drinking buddy's, any time of the week.

"Caroline," Klaus retorted, glancing at her with a very Klaus like I-am-a-serial-killer-do-not-fuck-with-me look. "Bonnie," he said, cocking his head to the side. "Sorry about keeping you out of the loop. I do understand that you and Caroline do so love to share secrets. Well, here is another-that if you repeat will be the last thing you do with that pretty, little tongue of yours-as you might have surmised, I am not Stefan. I do not, in fact, know how I found myself, here, back in this sorry state of a town, in my old friend's body. What I do know is that while I am here and Stefan is, presumably, in my body, everyone that either of us care for us is in a grave amount of danger. Are you following me so far, love?" Klaus continued, still holding Bonnie's arms down at her sides. "Good. Love it when people pay attention. Ah, yes, where was I? If you were to breathe a word of this, the latest in a million of life's happy, little accidents, many people you love might die, horribly. And you would not want to be the architect of all that misery, now would you?"

Bonnie shook her head, gritting her teeth. She looked at Caroline with a frown as Klaus let go of her. "You knew," Bonnie accused Caroline with a look of hurt and distrust. Caroline hated that Bonnie would ever think she would purposely keep something this big from her for long.

"No! No, Bonnie. I just found out myself. I don't think that it's, he's, been like this long," Caroline waved a hand at Klaus who sighed, rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest, still managing to look amused at the same time.

"No, love, I did not know," Klaus replied. "I woke this morning. And here I was. Well, I in the sense that my essence was here and not in New Orleans," he mused with a wry expression.

"Well I guess we're just going to have to remedy that problem, aren't we?" Bonnie replied with malicious look directed at Klaus.

Caroline really hoped that Bonnie did not murder Klaus in Stefan's body so that Stefan had nowhere to go once they got the two into their own bodies. "Hey, guys, can we focus for a second. I just changed the plan and invited Lily and the Heretics to the party tonight."

"You did what?" Damon demanded, exiting the house and throwing his hands in the air. "What in the hell were you thinking? Was it all the dye seeping into your little pea sized brain? Huh? It was supposed to be Enzo! He's the closest one to Lily in this group. What, you wanted to score points with mom for some reason?"

"Damon, shut up. We have bigger problems to deal with than your mother," Bonnie snapped at Damon who widened his eyes at her, his ice blues flashing with contempt and lack of understanding.

"What did I miss this time, other than Caroline's usual inability to follow very simple instructions?" Damon snarled, his lips curling back in a sneer directed at Caroline. She scoffed but her attention remained on Bonnie. Would she actually blurt out the truth to Damon, right here, right now? Yes, they had bonded over their whole Prison World nightmare but this did not seem like the place or the time.

"Bonnie," Caroline hissed.

Bonnie glared back at Caroline. "He has a right to know," the witch snapped.

"Know what?" Damon yelled, placing his hands on his hips, leaning forward, looking from Caroline and back to Bonnie. "This isn't the damned Girl Scouts; answer the damn question."

Bonnie looked at Klaus, glaring at him. "We thought that maybe we should host the party here. Keep it contained, lest death and mayhem fill the streets of Mystic Falls."

Damon's eyes got all squinty as he looked from Caroline to Bonnie. "Uh-huh. Nope, Bon Bon. Try again. Something else smells fishy. And we're nowhere near the sea."

"Damon, why don't we deal with the party planning? Then we can deal with whatever they're hiding," Klaus suggested with a smile, clapping his hands together and looking excited by the thought. "I look forward to the killing someone tonight part." Walking past Damon, Klaus re-entered the house. Bonnie looked wary but followed him inside.

Caroline moved to follow them but Damon caught her by the elbow. "You know, I think that maybe Stef's been sneaking more Type O, B, A and anything between into his bunny blood. Can you keep an eye on him tonight, make sure he doesn't do anything super stupid while I handle Mommy and her band of misfits."

Nodding, Caroline forced another smile. "Trust me, Damon, I will not take my eyes off Stefan for a second tonight." She meant what she said except for the keeping an eye of Stefan and not his unholy, psycho buddy taking a ride in his body. She intended on making Klaus stay on his best behavior, even if she had to lock him in the cellar to do it.

 **Thank you reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Answer to guest reviews:**

 **Amy: Sorry about the wait.**

 **Nee: Thank you. I really like writing for Freya and Stefan so I'm glad you enjoyed them. I would love to see Klaus and Enzo in some scenes in TVD or TO. Hope you enjoyed the update.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, my lovely readers. We're going to see some more Freya and Stefan in this chapter and their uneasy alliance. On with the show…**

Chapter 5: Set Up

Freya Mikaelson led the way through the French Quarter. Yes, Stefan had been here before, years ago, but things had changed, at least on the surface. The long legged blonde opened the door to a place called Rousseau's. Stefan did not remember coming to this bar when he visited. Maybe he did. Lexi would remember, she remembered everything when Stefan decided to blind himself to something painful. But Lexi was gone—for good this time—and it still hurt like hell.

Blinking, Stefan found himself standing in the doorway while Freya eyed him, eerily quiet and still for a human. Her eyes pierced his like she could read his mind. His aura. Maybe. There was a touch of concern but impatience outweighed it. Her fingers curled around the door handle, turning whiter as she waited on him.

"Are you coming?"

"Yes."

Stefan followed his…he had yet to reach a decision of who she was to him. Friend? Acquaintance? Jailer? Something else? His eyes passed over the crowd in the bar. Young. Tourists, for the most part. Couple of regulars. You could tell from the way they relaxed into their seats, not ready to leave, not sure whether they wanted to and where to go after they did.

"Klaus!" a young blonde woman called to him. She looked exasperated as she waved to him from the bar.

Stefan smirked with Klaus' mouth. He figured that's how Klaus would greet this woman, not really knowing their status yet. He would watch how she behaved toward him and go from there. "Cami," he replied. "What is this I hear about the death rate rising in our fair city?"

Freya rolled her eyes and looked away. Cami's gaze flicked to Freya. She looked confused. Stefan wondered if Klaus tended to come here by himself to meet with Cami or if Cami didn't like Freya. Freya was not helping as she took a seat on a stool and examined the bottles behind the counter.

"Yeah," Cami replied. "Freya, do you sense something off?" she asked, her wide eyes moving to Freya who smirked.

"Isn't there always something 'off' here?" Freya inquired.

Cami nodded. "Yes. There is. But this… I don't know. I guess it could just be some kind of serial killer got loss and decided to make our town into his personal playground."

"And we've decided that killer is a man?" Freya's eyebrows rose, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Cami seemed frustrated. "I don't know. Hell, it could be anything. Male. Female."

"Mountain lion," Stefan suggested, earning a dark look from Cami, her green eyes boring into his.

"Klaus, this isn't funny. People are dying," Cami snapped, her voice low as she leaned over the counter.

"Aren't they always," Stefan retorted. "Come. Have lunch with us. I assume that you have yet to rest your feet. You look tired." His comments made Cami's cheeks flush for a moment before she pinned him with another look. She kind of reminded him of Elena when she was still human and his heart gave a tug. Elena, trapped in her own mind until they got her out or Bonnie died. It made him sick. None of them should have to deal with this.

"Klaus, are you okay?" Cami asked, her hand coming down on top of his, holding it while he refocused on her. Hand holding. She at least thought there was something more between her and Klaus than pure friendship. Stefan had no idea how to respond. He didn't want to hurt her feelings but he didn't know her.

"I am simply preoccupied at the moment," Stefan told Cami, patting her hand with his free one and then sliding the other free. Her eyes darkened for a moment before she smiled.

"Yes. Don't I know what that's like." Cami let out a light laugh and Stefan wondered how many times she did that a day to cover up her feelings. She came from behind the bar as Freya got up and Stefan followed the two women to a window seat. Cami took a seat across from Stefan and Freya. Her eyes moved to the street.

Stefan shifted in his seat, looking to Freya, still trying to figure out what she wanted to happen here. Were they supposed to be using Cami for something? Was she just another pawn in one of the Mikaelson family's games? If so, he pitied her and would happily tell Freya that he would take no part in what would inevitably get Cami killed.

"Why are you doing amateur detective work, Cami?" Freya asked, her eyes penetrating Cami's. If Freya were a vampire, Stefan would assume she was trying to compel the human but she wasn't. Perhaps this was more mental warfare.

"I'm…I don't know, to be honest." Cami smiled, her eyes moving over the table. "I made a new friend, a Detective Kenney, and he's trying to solve this on his own. I'm afraid that if it turns out to be some of the people we know, he'll get himself hurt or worse." Cami shook her head, her eyes clouding over and this time it was Stefan who reached for her hand.

"I can speak to him. Find out what he knows. If he's closing in on something he cannot handle; I will stop him," Stefan promised her.

Cami smiled and Stefan felt like this was a genuine smile, one filled with gratitude and relief. He got the sense this was not the first time that she had seen Klaus do something good. Maybe he had changed. A little.

Freya smiled. "Shall we order?" she inquired and Cami seemed to remember she was there. Her head moved, eyes on Freya.

"Yes. I think I could eat. As long as I don't have to think about mutilated corpses which kind of kills my desire to consume anything, really." Cami said as a waitress came over to take their orders.

Stefan got the opportunity to examine Cami while she ate. She was pretty. Human. His type not so long ago. And the gaps began to fill when he caught Freya watching him watching Cami. He inclined his head while Cami ate, oblivious to the staring contest between the vampire and the witch. Freya's eyes seemed to be daring Stefan to say what was on his mind but he knew better.

"I've got to get back to work but we'll talk," Cami got to her feet and Stefan could hear a question in her words.

"Of course, love," Stefan said, smiling up at Cami the way he figured that Klaus might. She seemed to buy it, at least for now.

"That went well," Freya said quietly, taking a sip of her tea.

Stefan turned to glare at her. "Yeah. It went really well. Do you mind explaining why you're trying to set me up with Klaus' girlfriend?" he snapped.

"Girlfriend?" Freya gave Stefan an amused look that felt patronizing and held that typical Mikaelson smugness that made Stefan want to break the table in half. "Oh, Stefan, do you think that Klaus would endanger his human by allowing himself to get that deeply involved with her? And you claimed to be his friend."

Rolling his eyes, Stefan leaned back in his seat. "I said we were friends when I was having a rough patch. I never said we were BFFs with friendship bracelets who wrote letters every two weeks."

Freya chuckled. "Oh, I think that I hit a sore spot. Did my brother wrong you, Mr. Salvatore?" she asked, leaning closer.

"You know your brother pretty well by now, right, Freya, you tell me?" Stefan waited for Freya to make up her mind.

After a moment, Freya sat back. "Yes. I suspect he did. But that is who he is and all the more reason that you should help right his wrongs."

"Let me get this right: you want me to right the wrongs of a man who wronged me? Is there some kind of logic in this argument?" Stefan smirked at Freya. He didn't like how much he was beginning to feel more and more like Klaus. It was like there were remnants of Klaus in his body: his feelings, his memories, his indomitable will. Getting out of Klaus' body as soon as possible would be what was best for everyone. If Freya couldn't see that, she was crazy as Klaus was.

"Stefan, you strike me as a good person. Well, as good as a vampire can be. I think that if you and I work together, we can do many things to change Niklaus' relationships with his family, his friends and his enemies. Think of the possibilities."

Shaking his head, Stefan tried not to raise his voice. "Freya, you don't seem to understand. I have my own sins to atone for. I can't spend the rest of eternity making up for Klaus' and that is what you would be asking me to do because that is how long it would take to right his wrongs."

Freya closed her eyes. "Stefan, I cannot force you to help me. But I can make it hard for you if you don't." Her eyes became cold and Stefan knew that she was dangerous. How dangerous? That he did not know and did not want to find out anytime soon.

"Fine. We'll keep at this. For a while. But if any of my people come looking for me, if you hurt them, I will retaliate." Again, he sounded and felt more like Klaus. Seeing Freya's jaw tighten, he thought she sensed it, too.

"We have a deal. For now." Freya got to her feet and walked toward the door.

Stefan kept his head down. He had no idea if Klaus would have said good-bye to Cami but he did not feel like playing Klaus anymore. He wanted to be at home with Damon, listening to Caroline bicker with his brother. He wanted to go to sleep and pretend that this was one big fat nightmare.

On the street, Stefan found Freya peering around them. "What's going on?" he asked her.

"Someone was watching us," Freya told him.

Using Klaus' enhanced sight, Stefan looked around before he spotted a man watching them from down the crowded street. His feet carried him in that direction, pushing past people, determined to grab the man before he slipped through his fingers. Part of this instinct came from Klaus but part of it was the predator that lay within.

Freya's heels clicked away on the cement. Her breath came out in little puffs while she struggled to keep up with his swifter gait. He would slow down but the man turned a corner, into an alleyway and Stefan had to stop him. Every part of him said to stop the man even if he had to tear off a leg to do so. The wolf and the vampire within wanted to rip the man apart.

The man had jumped onto a fire escape, moving far too quickly. Not a man, a vampire. Not as old as Stefan, not nearly as quick either. Leaping forward, Stefan felt Klaus' feet touch the top of the building as the younger vampire's hand came up to pull himself over. Stefan moved forward. He caught the vampire by the arm. "Going down?" he inquired with a smile before yanking the vampire's other hand off the fire escape and tossing him down the side of building. There was a satisfying crunch as his bones broke.

Leaping back down, Stefan grabbed the vampire by the throat, holding him up in front of Klaus' face. "Who are you and why were you following us?" he asked the vampire who squirmed in his grasp and whined in pain.

"My arm! My arm, it's all wrong, man; it hurts. It's trying to heal all wrong." The vampire began to cry and Freya came to stand beside Stefan.

"If you don't tell us what you were doing, I will make you feel pain you've never felt before," she promised the vampire. Her lips curved into a smile that made Stefan feel disquieted by its lack of humanity. She used pain to aid in her ability to make others suffer.

"Okay. Okay," the young vampire moaned. "I'll tell you. I'll tell you whatever you want to know —" and then his throat exploded and blood ran down Klaus' fingers where Stefan had been holding him.

Freya's eyes widened. Stefan felt his whole body become alert, looking for the threat and instinctively pushing Freya behind him. Another figure took off but Stefan had seen a crossbow that the figure held in his/her arms. "Well, it's official. There's a new threat in town," Freya sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear, not looking pleased.

"One of Klaus' old friends, come to call?" Stefan figured that it was Klaus they were after since it was Klaus and Freya who the vampire had been spying on.

Freya nodded. "Most likely. We'll have to tell Elijah."

"Right," Stefan followed her out of the alleyway and they headed back to the compound. Now more than ever, he wanted to talk to Klaus. Maybe Freya would let him since Klaus would be the only one who might know what the hell was going on.

When they entered the compound Elijah stood in the middle of the courtyard with a crying Hope in his arms. Vampires littered the area like rag dolls. "Elijah, what happened?" Freya asked him, her eyes wide.

Stefan made his way over to take Hope but Elijah gave him a look. "She wants me," Stefan said, watching Hope trying to get to him.

Elijah relented, offering him the baby. "We were attacked. These," he waved a disgusted hand. "Children came in. I did not bother to ask them who they were or why they were here. My first instinct was to stop them from hurting her." His gaze moved to Hope. "I failed her mother. I will not fail her as well."

"Elijah," Freya's eyes softened. "You did not fail Hayley. You did what you could to protect her. It is Niklaus and Niklaus alone who made the decision to trap her as he did."

Elijah nodded. His eyes flitted to Stefan who held Hope. The child played with one of her father's necklaces while Stefan bounced her around, trying to keep her calm. "Perhaps. I do blame Niklaus for Hayley's predicament but if I had not allowed her to leave. If I had gone with her…"

"Elijah, you can't change what has happened." Freya placed a hand on Elijah's arm.

"You can only change the future," Stefan offered and the siblings looked back at him.

"I have yet to ask you who it is you are," Elijah retorted. "In my haste to deal with matters outside of this house, I left that detail unchecked."

Looking at Freya, Stefan watched her nod before turning back to Elijah. "I'm Stefan."

"Stefan Salvatore?" Elijah looked more confused. Stefan nodded. "That does not make sense. Who would ever want to switch the two of you? Does this have something to do with your time in the '20s together? Perhaps a common enemy that you incurred the wrath of during your short travels?"

"Not that I know of. Rebekah would know better than I would. My memories about that time are still vague." Stefan continued rocking Hope. He didn't tell them that he did not want to revisit that time in his past. Every time he thought of his life as Ripper Stefan; he felt sick. It was better to leave it to Rebekah to do the remembering for both of them. Safer.

"Rebekah? What does Rebekah have to do with this?" Freya questioned Stefan.

He probably should have told her about his time with Rebekah but hadn't thought it was their most pressing issue at the time. "About that… Full disclosure. I used to date your sister," Stefan waited for Freya to react but she didn't flinch.

"Yes, that would make sense in our family's twisted history, would it not?" Freya moved toward the house.

"Where are you going, sister?" Elijah called after her.

"I am going to try to contact Rebekah, see what she can tell me of her travels," Freya called back before disappearing. Stefan could still hear her in the house, making her way up to her room.

"Rebekah's traveling?" Stefan asked Elijah. He wondered what else he should know if he had to pretend to be Klaus for an indefinite amount of time.

"Yes." Elijah did not offer further details when someone came into the compound with a look of fury.

"Where the hell is she, Klaus?" the man thundered, coming toward Klaus with a look of rage.

"Where is who?" Elijah demanded, moving between Stefan and the larger man.

"He damn well knows who I'm talking about? What in hell is the matter with you? Hasn't she been through enough? Losing Kol? Being thrust into the role as Regent? She's got enough but you just had to kidnap her! What are you trying to make her do? Make a damned dagger to use on Hayley so you can box her up? Or is it me this time? Want to put me in your damned basement like the rest of the family? You'll have to kill me first!"

"Calm yourself, Marcellus," Elijah said, moving to grab Marcellus by the arm.

"Don't you touch me! I'm not kidding, Elijah! He's going to tell me what he did with Davina," Marcellus snarled.

Stefan heard Hope scream at the sound of Davina's name. Her tears ran furiously down her cheeks, hands pressing to her hot face. "Gone!" the baby wailed.

"What did she say?" Marcellus cried out, staring at Davina.

"Gone!" Hope cried out again. "Gone. Gone. Gone!" she cried miserably, burying her face into her father's shoulder.

"See, I told you he took her!" Marcellus accused, pointing a finger at Stefan.

Elijah shook his head. "Marcel. It is not possible that Klaus could have taken Davina."

"Oh, and how is that?" Marcel snapped, folding his arms over his chest.

"Because this is not Klaus. This is Stefan Salvatore," Elijah waved in Stefan's direction who nodded at Marcel.

Marcel just stared at him. "What?"

 **Thank you for faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Answers to guest reviews:**

 **Thank you/merci to all nine of my guest reviewers, nina19, guest, bluearrow, guest, guest, flashgirl, sirenna, guest and guest. I hope that all of you enjoy the update.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, my lovey readers. I wasn't feeling well when I wrote this chapter so I hope it makes some kind of sense. On with the show…**

Chapter 6: Dealing with Someone Else's Problems

Miss Mystic Falls. The last Miss Mystic ceremony Klaus attended, he had gone as Caroline Forbes' date. This time, he would not be her date—not in an official capacity at any rate. However, he believed that if things went well, he'd still be able to spend time with the blonde baby vampire who made his undead heart warm.

A knock sounded at the door of Stefan's room and Klaus turned to address his visitor. "Yes?"

"Stef, you about ready yet?" Damon called, striding into the room with a smirk on his face.

Klaus' borrowed eyebrows rose. He never suspected that the elder Salvatore was capable of politeness. "I will be soon, Damon. Are you looking forward to tonight?"

"Am I ever," Damon grinned wickedly. He walked over to Klaus, turned him around and began work on the tie that Klaus had just picked up and placed around his neck. "You're never going to figure these things out, are you, brother?" His smile lit up his face and Klaus did not think he'd ever seen Damon look happy or that his usual swagger would drop for an instant. This is what it must be like to have Damon for the brother. It made Klaus miss his own brothers.

"You okay, Stef?" Damon patted him on the arm. "You look all broodier than usual." And there he was, again, Damon Salvatore of old although Klaus sensed an imperceptible change about him. He'd have to ask Caroline about it. "Are you going to use tonight to sweep Caroline off her feet and show her that you are the man of her dreams?"

Klaus paused, his eyes glued to his suit jacket. When had that become a thing? Caroline and…Stefan? Surely not. Turning his gaze to Damon, Klaus inhaled sharply. He felt his fists ball at his sides. The desire to tear Damon's head from his neck for mentioning the idea of Caroline being with Stefan came and dissipated when another knock on the door came.

"Stefan?" Caroline's voice called and then she stepped inside, looking radiant, as always. She stood in a blue dress that set off her eyes with its icy glow. "Damon," Caroline greeted Damon, her tone's warmth cooling as she eyed Damon like he was an invader. If the elder Salvatore were not there Caroline would be pinning Klaus with that same look.

"Caroline, we were just talking about you," Damon said, crossing the room and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he grinned at Stefan. "Looks like you are both going to be going stag to this little event. So why don't you go together? As friends, of course."

Caroline glowered at Damon and shrugged him off. "Why don't you worry about your own love life and leave me to mine?" she quipped.

Damon glowered at Caroline. "I would, but since my girl is on ice, it's a little hard at the moment," he snapped, his eyes flashing with malice before he strode out of the room.

Klaus watched Caroline's lips form an O as her eyes clouded over. "Where is Miss Gilbert?" he asked Caroline. He'd tried to keep on top of events in Mystic Falls but he'd had extreme difficulties of late that prevented him from always keeping on top of his sources' reports.

"Elena's," Caroline's eyes filled with tears and she gulped down a sob.

Klaus had never cared for Elena Gilbert as her friends and family had. But there had been a grudging respect and envy for the devotion that she elicited from them. Without thinking about it, Klaus crossed the room, encircling Caroline in his arms and holding her close. It might be Stefan's body but this was his compassion—not his friend's—that he felt while he held the crying girl that he loved.

"It is alright. You can tell me at another time," Klaus said, pulling back and cupping Caroline's face while she gulped in air.

Caroline nodded and he remembered a time that he told her she needed comfort and turned his back on her in his wroth. She'd stood trembling after he buried her kills. Twelve witches. Nothing compared to Klaus' reign of terror. He'd wanted to hold her in his arms, to kiss her until the tears stopped falling, to lay with her, watching her eyes fill with pleasure, rather than pain. His anger and pride had made him cruel to her. He'd not make the same mistake again. If she needed him, he'd be hers. Always.

Sniffling, Caroline took a step back. "Thanks," she muttered, opening the clasp on her purse and removing a package of tissues. She dabbed at her eyes. "How do I look?" she asked him.

"Perfect," he told her with a smile.

Caroline pressed her lips together, trying to hold it in when a laugh erupted from her. "You remembered?"

"What you say to me?" Klaus smirked at her. "Always." Holding out a hand, he motioned toward the door to the bedroom. "Shall we?"

Caroline grinned. "We shall." She led the way out of the room. Once they were in the hallway, he offered her his arm and she took it. "I think that Damon might be right," she said, peering at him through her eyelashes. "Maybe we should go together because it will make it easier on me."

"To do what, pray tell?" Klaus quipped, staring at her and wishing for the millionth time he was in his own body so he might kiss her.

"To make sure you don't screw up and blow your cover," Caroline whispered into his ear as they met Damon at the bottom of the stairs.

Damon grinned at them. "Looks like someone's taking my advice," he winked at Klaus, still thinking that Klaus was his brother. "Ready to say hi to Mommy?"

"As I'm ever going to get," Klaus retorted. He smirked at Damon.

The three of them headed out to Damon's car. Klaus helped Caroline into the back before taking his place beside Damon. It seemed like what Stefan would do. Damon drove them to the Lockwood mansion which seemed to still be where the Miss Mystic ceremony was held. Why? Klaus had not a clue.

Damon got out of the car and Klaus took Caroline's hand in his, watching her slip out of the car. His eyes trailed over Caroline's leg which was revealed through the slit in her dress. She caught him staring. "Try to be a little more subtle," she reprimanded him, her breath tickling his ear.

Leaning over and brushing a curl behind her ear, Klaus whispered back. "Stop being such a temptation and I will do my best." He pulled back to watch Caroline's cheeks turn pink.

They walked across the lawn to where Bonnie was bickering with that Enzo person and Matt Donavon stood, his hands shoved into his pockets as he looked around. "You think it looks okay?" he asked them, glancing around at the stage and the ornaments.

"For someone with your expertise," Klaus began when Caroline jumped in.

"It looks great, Matt," Caroline told the blonde man who looked relieved. Klaus stopped himself from re-entering the conversation. Caroline's sweet lie would help Matt get through the day and Klaus' opinions would only cause Stefan's friends to become suspicious of him. Bonnie turned and openly glared at him. Placing a finger to his lips, Klaus smiled as Bonnie turned away again.

"Here comes mommy and her favorite little helpers," Damon said, grinning in a vicious way.

Lily came over to them with a pair of women. "Nora. Mary Louise. I would like you to meet my sons, Stefan and Damon."

"We've met," Nora replied in a bored tone.

Klaus looked at Caroline who tightened her hold on his arm. "Yes, we have. And it is lovely to see you again."

"Is it?" Mary Louise spat. "You tried to kill us?" she snarled. "For all we know, you're the ones who killed Malcom and Beau." Her blue eyes expressed a threat that Klaus would happily answer with one of his own.

"Girls, we do not know who attacked our family." Lily looked from Mary Louise to Nora, her hands folded over her waist like a proper woman from her age. Klaus smirked. He thought it would be easy to fool this woman. She only wanted to know what stood in front of her, not what might be lurking beneath the surface.

"I can't believe that we have to stay here and make nice with them," Mary Louise muttered to Nora.

Nora reached for Mary Louise's hand but the other girl flinched as if burned, glancing around. Ah. More ammunition. These newcomers were making the work ahead too easy for Klaus. He no longer cared to answer the question: What would Stefan do? It was obvious they were a threat, a threat that had to be eliminated.

"Isn't there another one of you lurking about?" Damon asked, looking around like the other member of the Heretics would appear out of the thin air. Bonnie came to stand by his side, arms folded, gaze hard.

Enzo eyed Lily warily while Matt stood a few feet away but did not run off. He was brave, stupid, but brave, like Cami. He would die one day, in service to his friends as his friend would but he'd rather not dwell on that matter.

"Are you enjoying the ceremony and festivities?" Klaus asked, avoiding Damon's question. He knew that the other member would reveal herself or himself with time; they always did.

Lily smiled at him. "Oh, yes. It's lovely." She looked around. "Not like times used to be. But nothing is, it it?"

"You can say that again," Damon replied, pulling out his flask and taking a gulp before he offered it to Bonnie. Bonnie handed it to Caroline without taking a drink. Caroline took a sip and offered it to Klaus. He took the flask and took a healthy drink. "Hey, Stef, slow down. There will be plenty at the party." Damon came over, reclaiming his flask and slipping it back into his jacket.

The new mayor took the stage, allowing Klaus the time to assess the new people. He did not see anything that he thought offered a real challenge. Caroline glanced at him a couple of times. "What are you thinking?" she whispered.

"Are you sure they're a real threat? They seem rather useless to me," Klaus whispered back to her. He noticed Nora give him a searing look before turning back to the entertainment and clapping for the new Miss Mystic Falls.

Once the ceremony ended, Klaus returned to Damon's car with Caroline. Damon's body was tense as he drove. Klaus wondered how ready he was to possibly kill his own mother. Since Klaus had more experience on the topic, he pondered the idea of giving Damon advice on the subject but then thought better of it. Nothing said, "I'm not your brother" like talking about the times you killed your mother.

Damon's focus remained on the road until they pulled into the driveway. "Ready to put an end to the last of the Heretics?" he asked, his eyebrows rising, his eyes glowing with fire. This is the Damon Salvatore that Klaus liked working beside.

"Lead the way, brother," Klaus called, following Damon into the house.

It did not take long before guests from the ceremony began to flood the house. Damon and Klaus greeted them while Caroline smiled at Klaus' side. Klaus thought he could get used to this, for a time. If only his family were there.

Bonnie came to stand with them. "They're on their way," she told Damon, glancing toward the front door.

Enzo stepped in with Matt. Neither of them looked comfortable in each other's company. Again, Klaus sensed tension and intended on using it against them.

Minutes later Lily and her Heretics came in the door. Nora had a spot of blood on her dress that was so small that a human would need a microscope to see it. Mary Louise licked her lips, wiping them clean of her latest meal. "Mother!" Damon called, he headed toward her with a glass of wine. "Your favorite," he told her.

Lily accepted the glass. "Thank you, Damon," she said with a smile. Taking a sip, she choked on it. "Special blend of type O and a red I was saving for a special occasion. Today feels special enough."

Lily placed a hand over her mouth. For a moment, her eyes turned black and her fangs had made an appearance. "Damon, that was rather impolite," she uttered through a series of strangled inhalations.

"Damon, you shouldn't have done that," Klaus said. Coming to stand in front of Lily. He knew it was time to play the hero, coming in to save Lily from the bad son.

"Whatever, Stef. This party is lame," Damon waved Klaus and Lily off and wandered away.

Klaus took Lily's hand. "Mother, let's go get you a different glass. I promise, I won't spike it."

Nora and Mary Louise, watched Klaus until Matt came over to them. "Hey!" he said, greeting Nora who smiled at him while Mary Louise glared. Another piece of information. Oh, this lot was too transparent with their petty jealousies, their desire to fit in, he glanced at Stefan's mother and then back at Nora.

Caroline caught Klaus' eye, nodding at him but looking unsure as he slipped out of the room with the woman who was not his mother. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Klaus asked once they entered the kitchen. Uncorking a new bottle, he poured out two glasses of wine. Tasting it, he wished they were at his home; his wine was far superior.

"I am," Lily replied. "Is Caroline your friend or something more?"

"Why do you ask?" Klaus took another sip of the acceptable wine.

"I'm curious. It's been so long since we've spent real time together. I wanted to know that you're happy. Isn't that what most mothers want for their sons?" Lily continued, reaching over and placing a hand over the one that Klaus wore.

"Yes. I suppose that is what mothers should want," Klaus replied with a smile. He clasped Lily's fingers in his. "And I would like you to be happy too, mother."

Lily's eyes filled with hope and Klaus smiled before turning back to his glass of wine. He would not strike. Not yet. He wanted to see what Damon was up to. Shouldn't there be at least one Heretic choking up blood at this very moment. "We should get back to the party," he suggested.

"We should," Lily replied. He offered her his arm and they went back to the great room. Mary Louise was glowering at Nora who continued a banal conversation with Matt. Klaus could not understand why anyone could endure a conversation with the boy for longer than a heartbeat. Matt's tryst with his sister might color his feelings on the subject though.

Mary Louise caught sight of Lily and stomped over. "I want to leave. This party is dull. I want to kill someone."

"If you're hungry, we have blood bags," Caroline said, coming to join them with a glass of champagne in hand.

Mary Louise turned to sneer at Caroline before snatching the champagne glass and taking a long sip. "Not bad. I've had better," she said.

Caroline's smile froze but she didn't miss a beat. "So was that a no on the blood bag?"

"Get me one. No, make that three. If I have endure this disaster of a party, I might as well drink myself into a stupor," Mary Louise grumbled, glaring at Nora and Matt.

"I'll help you get them," Klaus followed Caroline out of the room and down to the basement. Damon stood with Bonnie, they seemed to have been deep in conversation when Klaus and Caroline came down. "Are we interrupting something?" Klaus inquired while Caroline pulled open the freezer, removing a couple of blood bags.

"No," Bonnie said firmly.

Damon stood, his smile not quite right. Something in his eyes made Klaus feel a sense of foreboding when Caroline thrust the blood bags at him. "Find some way to hide these," she snapped at him.

"Shall I place them in my pockets?" Klaus called after Caroline who had already begun to march up the stairs.

"You're creative, you'll think of something," Caroline shot back before running up the stairs.

Turning back to Damon and Bonnie, Klaus watched them, still sensing unease. "Bonnie, why don't you help me with these?" he held up the bags.

"Why don't I, brother?" Damon stepped forward, taking a bag and holding up a bottle of wine. "Looks like we have a thirsty crowd upstairs and we wouldn't want to disappoint, would we?"

"No, we wouldn't," Klaus echoed as Damon grinned at him. "Damon, shall we just say it?"

Damon cocked his head to the side. "Say what, baby brother?"

"Fine. We'll play a little game," Klaus smirked back at Damon.

Damon didn't reply. He walked up the stairs and toward the kitchen. A woman stood in the kitchen, sipping a drink and her eyes fell on Klaus. "Hello, Stefan," she greeted him.

"You two know each other?" Damon inquired, uncorking the bottle and looking skeptical.

"Of course we do," the woman said. "It was very brief. So long ago I don't know if he remembers me."

"Refresh my memory," Klaus replied, coming to stand before the woman.

The woman examined him. "I will," she said, placing a hand on his arm and smiling. Klaus saw an onslaught of memories. This woman's memories of a time with Stefan but, she, too, saw things. Memories of the recent past. "Who are you?" she demanded, jerking away and glaring at Klaus.

"And that's going to be a problem," Damon muttered. He sped over, grabbing a knife from the butcher block. "Klaus, grab her!" he ordered Klaus, who did not take orders from anyone but there was an exception to every rule.

Reaching for the woman, he frowned when she uttered one phrase: "Phasmotos invisique," and then she gone as if she'd never been there in the first place.

"Damn it!" Damon yelled, throwing the knife down. "Klaus," he growled. "Man, I was pissed when I found out you popped into my brother's body. Now, I just want to kill you for a whole new set of reasons." Lunging forward, Damon began to punch Klaus who hit back. Unfortunately his strength was not what it should be. Damn.

"Stop this, right now!" Lily's voice echoed through the kitchen as their friends came in with Nora and Mary Louise. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"Sibling rivalry," Damon spat out, blood running down his chin from where Klaus had head-butted him as the door swung open.

"I would say go to you rooms/ However, you are both too old to be acting this way. Good night." Lily gave them a look of disgust before leaving with her Heretics.

"What is going on?" Caroline demanded.

"Ask your boyfriend," Damon muttered, wiping blood from his lips.

"Boyfriend?" Enzo rolled his eyes. "That again?"

"Not that one. Another one," Damon shot at his friend.

"Another one, what?" Matt looked confused.

"Klaus," Bonnie snapped.

"Where?" Matt looked around, his eyes wide with fear.

Klaus sighed. "I suppose this means that I can stop playing the hero. Yes? Never my best role." Smirking at the Mystic Falls residents, Klaus filled Caroline and then himself, a drink. "Now, shall we get down to how I shall help you rid yourself of my latest problem? Or would you prefer to fight me instead. Not a wise move considering if you kill me, you kill Stefan? Any takers?" he lifted the glass to his lips, waiting on their answer.

When no one spoke, Klaus smiled at them. "Well then, I suggest we reconvene tomorrow to create a real strategy to deal with these so-called Heretics and then we can work on getting me back where I belong."

"Hell?" Damon quipped when Bonnie elbowed him.

"Home," Klaus retorted.

 **Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Answers to guest reviews:**

 **Bluearrow: It's a lot of fun to write, too.**

 **Guest: And there is more and there will be lot more.**

 **Guest: I hope you liked it.**

 **Atlas: Thank you. I hope you loved this chapter, too.**

 **Guest: Thank you for both of your reviews.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, my lovely readers. We've got more Freyfan(?), Mikaelson family drama and more!**

Chapter 7: My Family's Enemies are My Own

Lips pursing, Freya did not feel at ease about Elijah's confiding in Marcel. Yes, he was part of their family. A part of their family who had just as much reason as any of their enemies to resent them and to turn on them in the mere blink of an eye. Freya Mikaelson did not like the feeling of helplessness that settled over her like a heavy shroud.

"What in the _hell_ are you talking about, Elijah?" Marcel's eyes narrowed as he glared at her brother. "What kind of _twisted_ _mess_ has Klaus dragged us into this time?" he demanded, placing his hands on his hips.

"It's _not_ really _your_ concern, Marcel," Freya said, inserting herself into the conversation as if the men had not forgotten her presence. "I'm sure you have your hands full with Davina's disappearance. If you'd like me to do a locator spell to try to find her, then you will have to agree to allow us to deal with this new predicament _on_ _our_ _own_ ," staring into Marcel's eyes, Freya waited for him to strain beneath her will. He could deny her but she would deny him her help which could cost him more than he was willing to lose.

Marcel shifted from foot to foot, scowling at Elijah and then looking back at Freya. " _Deal_. _Whatever_ you need from me, I'll get it."

" _Good_. I'll need something of Davina's to find her," Freya intoned, feeling more in control.

Hope let out a whimper, drawing attention back to her. The child seemed to understand more about what had happened with the young witch than the adults in her midst but could not communicate her thoughts to them with her words. That was alright. There were other ways of telling a story.

Stefan held the baby close, rocking her slowly while she buried her head into Klaus' shoulder. It felt mind-boggling but Freya lived through odder events. "I'm going to take her inside," Stefan told them.

Freya nodded. "I'll be up soon," she promised the newcomer to their daily family crisis.

Once Stefan had disappeared, Marcel came closer while Elijah moved to close the circle. "Who the hell is that guy?" Marcel demanded. "And where is the hell _is_ Klaus?" he demanded, his gaze intense and Freya could feel Marcel's emotions like waves. His relief, his fear, anger and concern. "Did he do this to himself or do we have a new _threat_ to deal with?"

"We have _nothing_ to concern ourselves with, Marcel," Elijah spoke calmly and decisively, placing a hand on Marcel's shoulder which he shrugged off. "We will handle our _new_ Klaus situation and will offer you any assistance we can in finding Davina."

Marcel gritted his teeth. "Elijah, _my_ damned _life_ is connected to _his_. If _that_ ," he pointed in the direction of the house, "gets himself killed, that's my ass along with Josh's and Klaus' _entire_ sire line."

"Well, then it is a good thing that Mr. Salvatore is _also_ part of Niklaus' sire line, now isn't it?" Elijah quipped with a slight smile causing the side of his mouth to curl up.

Rolling his eyes, Marcel let out an irritated sigh. " _Fine_. You had _better_ keep an eye on him, or I _will_. I'll be back with something of Davina's." Striding out of the courtyard, Freya could sense his frustration and knew how dangerous that could be. She also felt the same way.

Elijah titled his head. "That is beginning to develop into a problem."

"Nothing we can't handle, Elijah," Freya retorted, folding her arms over her chest and smirking at her little brother. "I'm going inside to check on Stefan and Hope."

"Good. I am headed to the bayou. Hayley will be in human form tonight and I was hoping to greet her with her good news." Elijah headed out of the courtyard and Freya remembered his mentioning a loophole to the curse that Klaus had placed on the mother of his child.

"Elijah, I'll look into the matter," Freya called after him.

"Thank you, sister," Elijah replied, whirling on his heel to face her but never breaking stride as he walked backwards out the front gate.

Freya steeled herself and headed back into the house. This family could not endure another crisis. Her feet carried her up the stairs, down the hall and into the living quarters.

"And there once was a werewolf who—" Stefan stopped when Freya entered the room. Hope had calmed down and the only sign that she'd been crying were the red circles around her eyes.

" _And_ …" Freya teased, leaning in the doorway. "What did the werewolf do?" she inquired with a smirk directed at Stefan.

"Well, the werewolf had a little princess werewolf that the entire kingdom loved because she was kind and cared for all of her subjects," Stefan told her while Hope stared at him through wide, damp eyes. "Sound good so far?"

"It's got a nice ring to it but needs further development," Freya teased him, walking over and brushing a hand over Hope's head.

"Who's Davina?" Stefan asked, bouncing Hope on his knee.

Freya titled her head, leaning over and inhaling Hope's scent, her eyes closing. The child gave her comfort and calmed her. "Davina is a family friend and a New Orleans witch." She would not tell Stefan any more than he needed to know until she knew she could truly trust him.

"Why would someone take her? I would ask why Klaus would want to take her but we're talking about Klaus and his reasons aren't always what one would call _reasonable_ or _logical_." Stefan let out a chuckle while Hope continued to watch him. "You got any ideas, kid?" he asked her.

Hope let out a stream of gibberish that did them little good. Then she took Stefan's head between her hands and his mouth opened, his eyes closing and squeezing like whatever was happening was not comfortable.

"Stefan, what's happening?" Freya demanded, watching her baby niece. She knew magic when she saw it and she knew that the child had already begun to practice. This did not come as a shock. However, Hope's practicing magic on Stefan worried Freya. What if the child unknowingly gave away family secrets that were better left kept cloaked, for now.

"Hope, _stop_!" Freya commanded and the child let go with a whimper, giving Freya an unhappy look.

"He's got her," Stefan said, letting out a deep breath and opening his eyes.

"Who?" Freya felt confused. "Davina?"

"I don't know. Does she have dark hair and one hell of a glare when she's pissed off?" Stefan questioned Freya.

Freya nodded. "That very well could be her."

"Tell me about the man you saw," Freya demanded, grabbing a notebook that someone, probably Elijah, had laid aside with a pen atop. "Tell me as much as possible."

Stefan looked thoughtful. "Young. Vampire. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes. Nothing about him stood out. I'd say he was a lackey. Then again, it's best not to assume." Frowning, Stefan sighed. "Sorry. I wish I could be more helpful."

"You can," Freya said, reaching out and taking Stefan's borrowed face between her hands, Freya concentrated, looking deeply into Klaus' familiar eyes that showed Stefan's feelings. Closing her own eyes, Freya swallowed as she probed the visions that Hope had just given Stefan.

Yes, Davina stood, chained to a wall, looking irritated but unharmed, yet. Kol would be furious. Perhaps Freya should have kept a watch over her brother's girl but she had so many problems associated with the rest of the family.

Davina watched as the man talked rapidly on a phone, passing mere feet from her, glancing at her from time to time. His eyes bore no emotion. Whoever left Davina in the care of this vampire was either arrogant enough to believe that the emotionless vamp would not tear the girl apart or they did not intend for her to outlive her usefulness, whatever that might be.

"Yes, sir," the vampire said before hanging up. For once, Freya found it regrettable that she did not share her brother's enhanced hearing. It would be useful in a case like this. The vampire moved toward Davina with a menacing look.

To Davina's credit, she did not flinch even in the face of a certain death sentence. "Tell me what I asked for," the vampire snarled, his fangs appearing and he leaned into Davina, his body pressing her into the wall behind her. "Or I will do things to you that you've only heard about."

Davina laughed in the vamp's face and Freya smiled. "You _think_ you scare me. I've faced the likes of _Klaus_ _Mikaelson_ and I _beat_ him. You're _nothing_. You're just some paid vamp-for-hire whose job is to force information out of me. Well, I'm _not_ going to help you hurt the Mikaelsons."

"From the way I hear it, you've been doing _nothing_ but trying to hurt the Mikaelsons, drawing a _giant_ target on Klaus' back. Take him down and the others will fall like a stack of dominos. Hell, I hear Kol Mikaelson came back as a warlock and didn't last a year. Got himself killed by a hex placed on him by his own brother. Ask me, being a vampire is so much better. Hex might make you go crazy but that's just half the fun." The vampire grinned at Davina, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Oh, wait, you were Kol's girl, weren't you? _Pity_. _Really_. He should have _killed_ you."

Davina spat in the vampire's face who stepped back and wiped his face with the back of his hand. "You're going to _pay_ for that," he snarled when someone came into the room and suddenly the vision ended.

" _No_!" Freya cried, probing Stefan's mind for anything else but came up with nothing. "Damn it," she hissed, stepping back and her fingernails bit into her hands, blood beginning to drop onto the floor as she gritted her teeth together.

Hope gave Freya a long look and Freya tried to calm herself. She wanted to scream, to throw something, to lash out at someone. Her emotions were spinning further and further out of control. Someone had come for her family. Again. She was trying so hard to repair the damage that her brothers had done to each other and now someone had come to harm them. Powerless. No, she would not be. She would find this new enemy and stop them before they were at their gates. Nip the bud before it bloomed. She must find Davina Claire before her captor took whatever information she had to be wielded against them.

A hand on her arm startled Freya out of her dark thoughts. "How can I help?" Stefan asked. Freya felt startled by the look in her brother's eyes. She thought she'd never seen Klaus be this open with another being. Vulnerable. No, this was Stefan's emotions showing through. His aura. Soft and lighter but weighed down with a burden of guilt and self-reprimand.

"You can help me look for a cure for Hayley while we await Marcel's arrival." Freya turned away from Stefan. She did not like how openly he offered his emotions to her. It made her want to offer herself in return but after a thousand years of learning to never allow someone else in if she did not want to suffer the cruelest of heartache; she did not know if she was capable of allowing him in. No matter. He was simply a guest who would return home to his other life, and she would continue on, attempting to heal her broken home.

"Okay." Stefan waited while Freya walked out of the room. She sensed, rather than heard, him following her into Elijah's study which he left unlocked.

Freya searched through the titles on his shelf until she found the book that Elijah had been studying when she came to tell him about the Klaus and Stefan switch-up mess. "Here it is," she said, pulling out the book and showing it to Stefan.

"Your mother's?" Stefan inquired, studying the old book.

"One of them. How did you know?" Freya asked him, idly flipping through the tome.

"I might have seen one of them or something almost as old at some point. Klaus tended to leave information lying around when he didn't think they could be used against him." Stefan peered over her shoulder and Hope let out a loud sound, bouncing on his hip and pointing.

"Yes, Hope. This is how Elijah said we can get your mother home to you," Freya told the baby who watched knowingly.

"Are you sure this will work? What if the spell backfires and makes things worse for Hayley and her pack?" Stefan looked concerned.

"You worry for someone you don't know that well?" Freya's eyebrows rose. She felt amused.

Stefan shrugged. "I know that Hayley _isn't_ an angel but knowing Klaus, he did something and she reacted and then he had her cursed. I've been manipulated by Klaus' power-plays, so I can sympathize."

Freya smiled. "That sounds like my brother. He is plagued by a constant paranoia that drives everyone who would care for him from his side. I _hate_ to think of what kind of schemes he is embroiled with in _your_ body."

"I shudder to think," Stefan retorted with a laugh.

" _Freya_!" Marcel's shout caused the lighthearted moment to dissipate.

"And the fun never ends around here," Stefan commented as they headed back to the courtyard to find Marcel pacing.

Freya understood his anger and impatience but it would not help her find Davina. "I brought you some of her hair," Marcel said, holding up a hair brush. Josh got it for me, met me half-way to her place. He's just as worried about her.

Freya didn't know Josh that well, however, she did not feel any hard will toward the baby vampire. From what she knew of Josh and Davina's relationship, she felt a bit jealous considering her general lack of friends. Yes, she had a coven, more or less, although that was questionable with the death of Josephine LaRue. With Davina as the Regent, anything that felt certain before had become less so and with Davina's declaring war between the witches and her family, she felt less than welcome amongst her own kind.

"Thank you. That will be useful," Freya said, taking the brush. She walked back into the house, knowing that Marcel would follow her with Stefan somewhere close by. Stopping inside the living quarters, Freya walked over to a candle lighting it up and plucked Davina's long, dark hair from the teeth of the brush, ignoring the familiar, acrid stench of human hair burning.

Knowing that a basic locator spell would not do the trick, Freya decided to look further into the vastness for Davina, using her essence to find her. Closing her eyes, she began to chant, seeing the candle's flame in her mind's eye rise while she placed her hands to her sides, allowing the magic to pour through her and envelop her. " _Where_ _is_ _she_?" she demanded anything that could hear her. And like a spirit reached out to her, Freya felt her mind beginning to focus on a place which solidified agonizingly slowly.

Freya's head snapped forward and she inhaled deeply as she came to. Marcel stood to her left, his hands on his hips. "Did you find her?" he demanded.

"Yes. She's in an old warehouse. In the ninth ward. There's a red wall on one side. A giant arrow above. The arrow's pointing downward, like it used to be part of a sign or something." Freya looked to Marcel who knew much more about the city than she did.

Marcel's head bobbed and he pulled out his phone. " _Good_. Thanks, Freya." He moved to leave when Freya stopped him.

" _Wait_! We're coming with you," Freya called after Marcel.

" _Really_? You're planning on bringing a _baby_ into a lethal fight?" Marcel snapped, eyeing Hope and then giving Freya a look that conveyed just which level of crazy he estimated her to have fallen victim to.

" _No_. Stefan can look after Hope. Yes, Stefan?" Freya looked to Stefan. "Call Cami. I'm sure she'd love to be of assistance."

"Cami? You've got her in this mess, too?" Marcel snapped, not bothering to look up from his phone.

"No, of course not. She knows nothing," Freya retorted, walking alongside the former self-titled king.

"Yeah. And she's going to love it when she finds out. Maybe I should send Josh to help Stefan. You know Cami's bound to figure it out if they're alone together for more than two minutes." Marcel pocketed his phone to give Freya a long look.

Nodding, Freya frowned. "Yes, I'm afraid there are far too many people who know of my brother's mysterious absence already."

"Let me guess, you're counting me on the: those who shouldn't know list. Right?" Marcel quipped with an easy smile that did not mask his resentment to Freya.

"Marcel, it is _not_ personal," Freya began when the vampire held up a hand.

"With your family, it never is, until it is." Marcel shook his head, his distaste visible.

Freya stopped at the gate, turning to find Stefan right behind her. "Keep her safe for us, will you?" She could feel Stefan's protectiveness of Hope as he held the baby close. It felt more like Klaus' remnants of Klaus' aura than Stefan's which should help to keep Hope safe. Any paternal feelings were better than none.

"I'll protect her with my life. _Klaus'_ life," Stefan amended and Marcel rolled his eyes, glowering at the street outside. "You should be careful, too."

"Thank you for your concern, Stefan," Freya replied with a smile before she strode off with Marcel. She just hoped that they got to Davina before Davina broke. The girl had a strong will but there is only so much pressure one can endure before one collapses under the weight of forces beyond our control.

"She had better be okay," Marcel muttered under his breath.

Freya nodded. She wished the same. For the sake of her family and for the girl herself. Most especially she hoped that Davina remained safe for Kol's return. Their brother would be returned to them and Finn. They would be whole and God help anyone who stood in her way.

 **Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Answers to guest reviews:**

 **Guest: I hope you liked this chapter, too.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, my lovely readers. We've got more Klaroline and the MF gang in this chapter. On with the show…**

Chapter 8: Friend or Foe?

Everything would be fine. Caroline reassured herself that everything would turn out just fine. It had to. Standing off to the side, she chewed on her bottom lip while her friends stared at Klaus Mikaelson warily. She knew that the truth would come out. The truth always came out. But did it have to be right now? She hadn't even had time to really digest this whole Klaus in Stefan's body thing and she'd been through the Klaus-in-Alaric's-and-Tyler's-bodies thing before.

Rolling her eyes toward the ceiling of the great room, Caroline tried to stay calm while Damon talked, his hands flying around and his mouth running. "How in the hell did this happen? Where in the hell is Stefan? So help me God, Klaus, I'm going to _kill_ you if _anything_ happened to Stefan!" Damon snarled, moving toward Klaus.

Bonnie stepped in between the two. "Hey!" she snapped. "Damon, _calm_ _down_. This isn't helping anyone."

Klaus smirked which still looked so freakin' weird on Stefan's face. Caroline shook her head. "Bonnie's right, Damon. Killing Klaus is _not_ going to help anyone. _Least_ of all Stefan."

Damon turned to glare at her and Caroline gulped. She so did not want to have to fight him off. " _Right_ , Blondie, I get it, you don't mind since its Klaus who's decided to hitch a ride in Stef."

" _Damon_ ," Bonnie snapped, again, pushing him away from Caroline.

Caroline let out a hiss of air. "What is _that_ supposed to _mean_ , Damon?" she demanded.

"You damned well _know_ what that means, Caroline!" Damon shouted. "You get Stef _and_ Klaus. It's like freakin' Christmas for you!"

Letting out a scoff, Caroline walked over and grabbed a tumbler. "You know what, Damon, one of these days Elena is going to come back and you're going to spend _the_ _rest_ _of_ _eternity_ apologizing for _all_ of the _stupid_ , _obnoxious_ things you have said to people."

Klaus walked over and took the tumbler that she'd just filled and took a sip. Caroline glared at him. "Sorry, love, I needed this more than you." Turning around, he held up an index finger. "Might I suggest we focus on the matter at hand?" He waited until everyone's eyes were on him. A pleased smile appeared on his face. "Killing those nasty, little Heretics you seem to loath so very much before we get on with the real problem: Returning Stefan and I back to our own bodies."

"Why don't you just go up to Stefan's room with a sketch pad and doodle Caroline pics to entertain yourself with?" Damon snapped with a sneer. "We were doing just _fine_ —taking care of the Heretics—before you showed up." Stalking over, he jerked the tumbler out of Stefan's hand and then stalked away from Klaus. "And _stop_ drinking all of the good stuff."

"Is it my fault you have so little to offer, Damon?" Klaus called after Damon.

Damon turned around and Caroline knew that look. "Damon, _stop_!" she cried at the same time that Damon sped over to the fireplace, picked up a poker and threw it at Stefan's head.

Klaus dodged out of the way but a cry of pain filled the air. "Jesus Christ!" Alaric bellowed and Caroline's eyes widened when she saw the missing member of their group walk into the room. Alaric fell to the floor, the fireplace poker half-in, half-out of his right shoulder. "God damn it, Damon!" Alaric grunted, looking at his bleeding shoulder.

"That looks painful, mate," Enzo quipped, sitting on the arm of a couch.

Damon glared at Klaus. "Look what you made me do," he yelled, going to help Ric.

Klaus shrugged Stefan's shoulders. "Temper, temper, Damon," he retorted, tsking until he caught Caroline glaring at him.

"I'll take Ric to the hospital," Matt said, going to help Alaric to his feet.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "And _why_ would you do that? Take the bloody thing out. Give him blood and let us return to what is important: Murdering our foes."

Alaric glared at Klaus while Damon examined the fire poker. "How bad does it hurt?" he asked Alaric, helping his friend sit down on one of the couches.

Narrowing his eyes, Alaric looked up at Damon. "How _bad_ do you _think_ it hurts?" he retorted. "You just _stabbed_ me with a fire poker."

Damon at least had the sense to look guilty, for once. "I'm am _really_ sorry, buddy."

"You _ought_ to be," Alaric replied, gritting his teeth in pain.

Damon nodded. "Yeah. You're right. The _least_ I can do is fix it."

"Fix it?" Alaric looked at Damon. "No. No way, Damon. _Don't_ even think about i—"

Damon wrapped his fingers around the fire poker to Caroline's horror and proceeded to jerk the thing out. "Oh, my God!" Alaric screamed in agony, his body jerking forward and then falling back against the couch. He looked pale as blood began to flow down his shirt. Flinging the bloody fire poker on the floor, Damon placed his wrist to his mouth, ripped his skin and vein open.

" _No_ , Damon." Alaric shook his head but Damon rolled his eyes and shoved his wrist into Ric's mouth.

After a moment, Ric began to drink and Damon patted him on the head. "Good, Ric." Alaric glared up at his friend. Caroline wondered why it was that Alaric didn't try to kill Damon, again. Maybe he would after this stunt.

"Right then," Klaus looked bored and walked over to grab another tumbler. "Where were we before another human decided to ruin the moment? Ah, _yes_ , I was going to tell you how we should kill the Heretics."

"We _don't_ take orders from you, Klaus," Bonnie snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is Stefan not your fearless leader?" Klaus quipped, pouring himself another drink while Damon glared at him. Klaus lifted his eyes to look around the room. " _Yes_. I do believe he is. And without him in the picture, it would fall to me—seeing as I am currently wearing his face—to keep you lot from getting yourselves killed as you would do on your own."

"We can take care of ourselves," Caroline stated. "Bonnie is ten times more powerful than she was when you first met her. Matt learned to be a cop and can take down vampires all by himself. Ric is… human again but he's still a hunter. And Damon… Damon is a vicious killer."

Damon looked at Caroline but Bonnie interrupted. "I agree with Damon. It would be better for _all_ of us if you just stayed out of the way and try to not get Stefan's body killed until I can find a way to switch you two back."

Klaus watched Bonnie through narrowed eyes. "Need I remind you that I will not be kept here against my will? I might be stuck in an inferior body but that does not mean that I cannot kill you, witch."

Bonnie smirked at Klaus. "I would _love_ to see you try," she said, moving toward Klaus.

Caroline felt her stomach sink. Moving to the space in between Bonnie and Klaus, she held up her hands. "You know what? You're _both_ right." Bonnie and Klaus looked confused. "Klaus needs to stay out of the fight," she began when Klaus opened Stefan's mouth to protest. "And _I_ will stay with him." Closing Stefan's mouth, Klaus looked pleased.

" _Right_. You would just _love_ to have an excuse to spend some time alone with _that_." Damon waved a disgusted hand at Klaus, his eyes on Caroline. "You know, I _really_ was beginning to think you were good enough for Stef; looks like I was wrong." Turning around, Damon stomped out of the room.

Matt helped Alaric to his feet and they followed Damon. Bonnie shot Klaus another warning glare before following the others. Enzo refused to get up. "Are you sure you want to be alone with this _one_?" he asked, nodding at Klaus, watching Caroline.

Nodding, Caroline smiled at Enzo. "I'll be fine. I promise."

"Call me if you need me for _anything_ ," Enzo said, giving Caroline's shoulder a brief squeeze on his way out.

"I thought they would never leave," Klaus said with a wide grin. "Now, I suggest that we find that couple…what were their names…Nora and Mary Louise? They will make easy kills. Separate them, turn them against each other and perhaps they'll do the dirty work for us."

Caroline shook her head. " _No_ _way_. I'm _not_ risking Stefan's life so you can show that you're a better killer than my friends." Walking out of the room, Caroline headed down to the basement.

"Love, you know that I hate to say this—but I think you're being a bit short-sighted." Klaus leaned against the wall across from the freezer while Caroline pulled out blood bags.

Still bent over the freezer, Caroline shook her head. "Look, Stefan and I nearly got killed taking out _one_ of these guys. Can you _imagine_ what it would be like if we took on _two_? _By_ _ourselves_?" Slamming the door closed, Caroline turned to face Klaus who now stood right in front of her face. If she closed her eyes she could see his curls, and his full red lips, the way that his eyes sparkled with humor and longing.

"Caroline, I am sure that you and Stefan make a wonderful crime fighting duo, but you and I, love, we can _end_ _this_. _Tonight_." His words made her inhale deeply. The way that he leaned in close, his eyes moving from her eyes to her lips—that look— that damned look that made her lose her freakin' control—that made her want to jump into his arms. Every. Single. Time.

Sucking in a steadying breath, Caroline side-stepped away from Klaus, "Maybe you should go find a sketch pad. Stefan's a writer. He probably has a ton of paper, just lying around."

"Why don't you want to go on a hunt with me, Caroline?" Klaus demanded. "What are you so _afraid_ of?" he called, Stefan's lips almost brushed her ear and Caroline whirled around; dropping the blood bags.

" _Klaus_ , _just_ _stop_ _it_! _Please_!" Caroline cried out, her hands flying to her temples which she began to massage.

Softening, Klaus took her hands, pulling them down to her sides and then titled her chin upward so they were looking each other in the eye. "You _know_ that I am right. Help me end this. Help your friends before one of them becomes a _casualty_ of this little war. When it is over, Stefan will return to you and you can explore whatever it is that you're feeling now. Then you will not have to feel guilty every time you look at me." Letting go, Klaus took a step back and then sped upstairs.

Sucking in a breath, Caroline felt tears pooling in her eyes. Her body shook as she looked at the stairs. Whatever she had felt for Stefan had passed. But whatever she felt for Klaus remained and every minute she spent with him left her more and more confused. The idea of hunting down her enemies with him, of giving in, and rejoicing in the nature of the predator within scared her. Being around Klaus scared her. Who she was when she was with him, scared her but it also excited her. What if they got Stefan back but she still wanted to be with Klaus? Would she really turn her whole life upside down and go running to New Orleans to stand by his side?

Caroline decided that this was not the moment to stand around contemplating the future. The present was what mattered. What she did right now would help her figure out what to do later. Gathering the blood bags, Caroline sped upstairs while working on plans of how to distract Klaus for the next eight to ten hours.

"Have you ever seen _Game_ _of_ _Thrones_? Lots of _gore_ and _sex_ and _misery_. It's _totally_ your style. I bet Damon has copies around here, somewhere," Caroline called as she headed toward the great room. She walked in and dumped the bags on a couch. "Klaus, are you hungry? I think a bag of popcorn and some of Damon's best bourbon sounds great with the show," she called, turning toward the entryway of the room. When Klaus did not flash into the room, Caroline's brow furrowed. "Klaus?"

Feeling annoyed, Caroline sped out of the room and then up the stairs. Klaus was not in the any of the rooms. "You have got to be _kidding_ me," she groaned, looking around Stefan's room. A folded piece of paper caught her eye. Seeing her name scrawled in Stefan's handwriting, Caroline walked over to it and picked it up. "I'm _going_ to kill you," she hissed.

Crumpling the paper in her balled fist, Caroline shoved it into her pocket and raced out of the house. "You have got to be kidding me!" she yelled, her eyes widening at the spot where her car had been parked. He stole her car. Klaus stole her car. Now, she really did want to kill him.

Racing through a woods, Caroline stopped at the edge and walked to the road. She waited for the sound of a car coming before ripping her sleeve and gritting her teeth as she took her fingers and sliced into the skin on her arm. "Seriously. Going. To. Kill. Him," she muttered under her breath as she ripped her pants leg and then tore a gash in her leg. The car was almost there when she went running for it, waving her arms. "Help me!" she screamed, "Help me! _Please_!"

The car went by her. Caroline watched as the driver stopped and pulled over. "Hey, are you okay?" the young man who drove it called, coming over and looking Caroline over.

" _No_ ," Caroline whimpered, struggling to walk.

A young woman got out of the car and followed the guy. "I'm going to call 911," the woman said, taking her phone out of her purse.

Caroline moved so swiftly that the woman did not have the chance to hit the 9. " _Don't_ _move_. _You're_ _fine_ ," Caroline said quietly, staring into the woman's eyes.

"Hey! What the hell?" the man cried, running toward them. Caroline turned around, and caught him by the throat, looking him in the eye.

"I _need_ to use your car. You _want_ to give me your keys," Caroline said, holding out her free hand. The man gave her his keys. "Thank you. After I leave, you and your girlfriend are going to call the Sheriff's station. Ask for Matt Donavon. Ask him for a ride. Tell him you lost your car but don't remember how. Now, I'm going to go. You and your girlfriend never saw me." The man and the woman nodded at her words. "Good. Thank you. Oh, and I need your dress."

K&C&K&C&K&C&K&C&K&C&K&C&K&C&K&C&K&C&K&C&K&K&C

Caroline drove as quickly as she could to Whitmore College. She did not have time to be pulled over. Stopping in the parking lot near her dorm room; Caroline climbed out of the car. She had no idea what she would do once she found Klaus but it would not be pretty.

A sophomore held the door open for her and Caroline thanked him before striding to the stairs. Squashing the desire to take them two at a time—Caroline forced herself to take them one at a time. Once she got to her room—she found that Klaus was not there. Seriously. Where on campus could he be? "If I were a psychotic vampire with a God-complex; where would I be?" she asked the room.

"How about _here_?" a voice called from her behind her.

Freezing, Caroline turned around and gave Mary Louise a hard look. "What do you want?"

"I want what you want. A life. Family. To be with my beloved." Mary Louise continued toward Caroline and Caroline had a bad feeling.

" _Right_. Well, I can't really help you with all of that," Caroline began and moved to side-step Mary Louise and to walk out of the room when Mary Louise lifted a hand and the door slammed shut. " _Seriously_ ," Caroline growled, allowing her fangs to show.

Mary Louise chuckled. "Am I to be scared of _that_?" she scoffed.

"No, darling, you should be scared of _this_ ," Klaus said, appearing in the center of the room, with Nora, his hand wrapped around her throat, a stake over Nora's heart.

Mary Louise's mouth opened and she emitted a hiss of rage. " _I will tear you apart._ "

"I think _not_ ," Klaus replied. "You see, I pumped your pretty little girlfriend so full of wolf's venom that she can barely keep her head up; and I will kill her before you can blink. So I suggest that you listen, carefully, before you make a movement that you will soon regret."

"Do what he says Lou," Nora choked out. She did look like hell. Her skin was pale and she was shaking. Caroline knew what it felt like to have a wolf bite and did not begrudge Nora one second of the agony she was experiencing at that moment.

"A mere bit of wolf's venom would not do _this_ to us," Mary Louise snapped. "Nora, just siphon its magic."

Nora shook her head. "I _can't_ Mary Lou. He'll bloody well stake me before I can. This _isn't_ Stefan Salvatore. He's a _monster_!"

"You're right, love, I'm _not_ Stefan Salvatore. I'm your worst nightmare." Klaus told them with a note of glee in his voice. Caroline reminded herself that it was always better to be on Klaus' good side than his bad one.

"Who the bloody hell are you then?" Mary Louise demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

"I'm Klaus Mikaelson," he announced. Nora let out a whimper and Mary Louise paled; her arms dropping to her sides. "And you two are going to help me get back to my body, or you will die, screaming. Your choice."

Caroline's mouth dropped open. This was not the deal that he had made with her friends. "What the hell, Klaus?" she cried, glaring at Klaus.

Klaus looked at her. "I'm sorry, Caroline. I have to protect my family," looking at Mary Louise, he waved his free hand at Caroline. "Would you?" he asked.

Mary Louise snapped two fingers and Caroline's neck snapped to the side.

 **Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


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